I remember reading something like “out from something’s mouth/jaws (like a dragon) and into another…” Answer It’s not a dragon, but it’s nevertheless very warm: Out of the frying pan into the fire The phrase out of the frying pan into the fire is used to describe the situation of moving or getting from a … Read more
There is a Persian proverb (“One habitable village is better than one hundred desolated towns“) which emphasizes that a limited and small-scale but working thing (e.g. a solution or an achievement) is much better than several ones that do not work or could not be leveraged. Is there any equivalent proverb/idiom for that in English? … Read more
I am translating into English a famous refrain from Spanish, Ahí fue Troya. That means something like Then a big trouble started. I am looking for some correspondingly recognizable refrain I can use in English for the translation. Because this is a work of literature, having a polished style and wording is very important. Answer … Read more
What would be a clear and concise way to describe someone whose ambitions or aspirations far exceed his means or abilities? Answer “His reach exceeds his grasp.” This comes from Robert Browning’s poem ‘Andrea del Sarto‘ which contains the lines: Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for? AttributionSource … Read more
I want a fun and playful retort to use against someone who says “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”, which, according to the so-named Wikipedia1 article means: The squeaky wheel gets the grease is an American proverb used to convey the idea that the most noticeable (or loudest) problems are the ones most likely to … Read more
We have a proverb in my language: “Make the jacket to the button”. I’m looking for the equivalent in English. The meaning of the proverb is: A tiny part of job is already done. It turns out that the rest of the job can only be done with a significant compromise due to the way … Read more
I have come across this very famous proverb many times that blames people who don’t take a stand for bad things that happen in the world. As far as I remember, it had something to do with the world ending and the people who had not taken a stand were to blame. However, I cannot … Read more
In Tamil language, there is a proverb for a particular sequence of actions performed. The proverb is, “Pillaiya killi vittu, thottila aatradhu“, meaning, “Pinching a child and then oscillating the child’s hammock“. (Rough translation) This is usually said when politicians instigate something controversial and then they themselves try to pacify the situation. People who are … Read more
Is there a proverb in the english language that describes a person with a “sore loser” type of attitude? For example to convey a context, say there are two children (let’s refer to them as Alice and Bob). Alice receives a doll for Christmas and Bob gets nothing. Feeling left out and angry, Bob breaks … Read more
I am looking for an American proverb which connotes that average is better than maximum or minimum. For instance, if you work regularly you are probably in some cases more successful than people who work to their utmost or than people who are relaxed. Answer The closest common expression I can think of would be … Read more
