English Language-Sayings And Proverbs : Part 1

              Native English Speakers often use sayings and proverbs when making comments on certain situations, experiences or to support an opinion. In fact native speakers love to use sayings and proverbs. Both for the purpose of humour and to emphasize a point. Below is the first part of a list  I will post on my blog of well-known sayings and proverbs: fixed phrases or sentences that give advice or say something that is generally true.

Sometimes a speaker will even leave out part of the phrase in a sentence because it is so well known. The part that is often left out is shown in brackets as an example of my point. what the eye doesn’t see ( the heart doesn’t grieve over) or when the going gets tough (the tough get going) : Yes it’s a difficult challenge…but when the going gets tough…..!

Here are some examples of popular sayings and proverbs. More will be posted in part 2 of  this topic.

absence makes the heart grow fonder used to say that when you are away from someone or somewhere you love, you  love them or it even more.

there’s no accounting for taste used to say how difficult it is to understand why someone likes someone or something that you do not like at all.

actions speak louder than words what a person actually does means more than what they say they will do.

it’ll be alright on the night used to say that a performance, an event, etc, will be sucessful even if the preparations for it have not gone well.

the apple never falls far from the tree a child usually behaves in a similar way to his or her parent(s)

                             

if you can’t beat them, join them if you can’t defeat somebody or be as successful as they are, then it is more sensible to join them in what they are doing and perhaps get some advantage for yourself by doing so.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder people all have different ideas about what is beautiful. It can be apearance. intellect or other qualities that an individual defines as beautiful in another person.

beauty is only skin deep how a person looks is less important than their character.

you’ve made your bed now must lie on it you must accept the results of your actions

beggars can’t be choosers people say beggars can’t be choosers when there is no choice and somebody should just be satisfied with what is available.

seeing is believing used to say that somebody  will have to believe that something is true when they see it, although they do not think it is true now.

there’s one born every minute used to say that somebody is very stupid.

every cloud has a silver lining every sad or difficult situation or experience has a positive side, something to learn from that will make us wiser etc.

easy come easy go used to mean that somebody does not care very much about money or possessions especially if they spend it or lose something. People who are not very materialistc have this attitude in life.

the end justifies the means bad or unfair methods of doing something are acceptable if the results of that action is good or positive.

enough is enough used when you think that something should not continue any longer.

so far, so good used to say that things have been successful until now and you hope they continue to do so, but you know the task etc.  is not complete yet, is not finished yet.

fools rush in (where angels fear to tread) people with little experience try to do the difficult or dangerous things which more experienced people not even consider doing.

what goes around comes around the way somebody behaves towards other people will effect the way those people behave towards them in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well that was a quick look at sayings and proverbs, more to come in part 2.

Good luck with your English language learning, and ‘live to fight another day’ ….

Simon

Ok English

 

11 thoughts on “English Language-Sayings And Proverbs : Part 1”

  1. Thanks Beatrix…… Good luck with your English language learning..feel free to ask any questions or leave comments any time. 🙂

  2. Yes I think many proverbs from around the world are very similar, they all have the same distant origins. Thanks Alaa

  3. Simon, did you mean “affect”?
    ” the way somebody behaves towards other people will EFFECT the way those people behave towards them in the future.” (emphasis mine)

  4. Well firstly Ron thank you for your comment. If your comment refers to the saying ‘what goes around comes around’ ? Then yes that is the implied mean that you have stated. However if your question refers to something else in the blog, then please feel free to clarify and restate your question. Thanks. Simon. OK English.

  5. “Affect” is to create change or influence an action.”Effect” is the result of said change. The bind in that is the fact that “effecting” a change is permissible as it causes a change that “affects” the result.

    Affect, with an a, means “to influence,” as in, “The arrows affected Aardvark,” or “The rain affected Amy’s hairdo.” Affect can also mean, roughly, “to act in a way that you don’t feel,” as in, “She affected an air of superiority.”
    When Should You Use Effect?
    Effect, with an e,
    has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning “a result” seems to be at the core of all the definitions. For example, you can say, “The effect was eye-popping,” or “The sound effects were amazing,” or “The rain had no effect on Amy’s hairdo.”

  6. Good comment Ron but actually to “effect” change is the correct form here. Effect is also a verb. This is an important point to remember 🙂 To effect is a verb….

  7. Ron any good dictionary will show you that EFFECT also functions as a verb – although less often. The government wants to effect change ( verb form of effect) in this case. Check dictionary for clarification. Thanks.

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