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Proverbs



This 'Complete The Proverbs' CST activities page is offered as a filler. I have selected the best or most recognisable proverbs from this website - https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/proverbs.html


The idea is to ask members to complete the proverb, with the facilitator reading out aloud each item, but missing out the capitalised word or words.


This is a memory recall activity, but to make it more interesting discuss the meanings of proverbs with members and how much they ring true today.


(The meanings of the proverbs are included on the website, if you need to clarify any of them.)


This is a fairly comprehensive list. You might want to spread the activity over a few sessions?





A barking dog never BITES

A bird in the hand is worth two IN THE BUSH

A change is as good as A REST

A dog is a man's BEST FRIEND

A fool and his money are soon PARTED

A friend in need is a friend INDEED

A leopard cannot change its SPOTS

A little of what you fancy does YOU GOOD

A nod's as good as a wink to a BLIND HORSE

A picture paints a thousand WORDS 

A poor workman always blames HIS TOOLS

A problem shared is a problem HALVED

A rolling stone gathers NO MOSS

A stitch in time saves NINE

A thing of beauty is a joy FOREVER

A watched pot never BOILS

Absence makes the heart GROW FONDER

Actions speak louder THAN WORDS

All good things must come to AN END

All that glisters is not GOLD

All work and no play makes Jack A DULL BOY

All's well that ENDS WELL

An apple a day keeps THE DOCTOR AWAY

An Englishman's home is HIS CASTLE

An eye for an eye, a tooth FOR A TOOTH

Any port in a STORM

Appearances can be DECEPTIVE

As you make your bed, so you must LIE UPON IT

As you sow so shall YOU REAP

Ask a silly question and you'll get A SILLY ANSWER

Ask no questions and hear NO LIES



Bad news travels FAST

Be careful what you WISH FOR

Beauty is in the eye of the BEHOLDER

Beggars should not BE CHOOSERS

Behind every great man there's A GREAT WOMAN

Better late than NEVER

Better safe than SORRY

Beware the Ides OF MARCH

Birds of a feather FLOCK TOGETHER

Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS

Blood is thicker than WATER

Business before PLEASURE



Carpe DIEM (Seize the day)

Charity begins AT HOME

Children should be seen AND NOT HEARD

Cleanliness is next to GODLINESS

Clothes maketh THE MAN

Cold hands, WARM HEART

Count your BLESSINGS

Crime doesn't PAY

Cut your coat to suit YOUR CLOTH



Dead men tell NO TALES

Discretion is the better part OF VALOUR

Do as I say, not AS I DO

Do unto others as you would have them DO TO YOU

Don't bite the hand that FEEDS YOU

Don't burn your bridges BEHIND YOU

Don't count your chickens before THEY ARE HATCHED

Don't cut off your nose to SPITE YOUR FACE

Don't get mad, GET EVEN

Don't keep a dog and BARK YOURSELF

Don't let the cat out OF THE BAG

Don't let the grass grow UNDER YOUR FEET

Don't mix business with PLEASURE

Don't put all your eggs in ONE BASKET

Don't put the cart before THE HORSE

Don't rock the BOAT

Don't shoot the MESSENGER

Don't teach your Grandma TO SUCK EGGS

Don't throw the baby out with THE BATHWATER

Don't try to run before you CAN WALK

Don't upset the APPLE-CART

Don't wash your dirty linen IN PUBLIC



Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, WEALTHY AND WISE

East, west, home's BEST

Easy come, EASY GO

Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow WE DIE

Empty vessels make the most NOISE

Enough is ENOUGH

Every cloud has a SILVER LINING

Every dog has ITS DAY

Every little HELPS

Every picture tells A STORY

Everything comes to HIM WHO WAITS



Faint heart never won FAIR LADY

Faith will move MOUNTAINS

Familiarity breeds CONTEMPT

Feed a cold and STARVE a fever

Fight fire with FIRE

Fight the good FIGHT

Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have GOOD LUCK

Finders keepers, losers WEEPERS

First come, first SERVED

First things FIRST

Flattery will get you NOWHERE

Fools rush in where angels FEAR TO TREAD

Forewarned is FOREARMED

Forgive and FORGET

Fortune favours THE BRAVE

From the sublime to the ridiculous IS ONLY ONE STEP



Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent PERSPIRATION

Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him FOR A LIFETIME

Give a man enough rope and he will HANG HIMSELF

Give credit where credit IS DUE

Go the extra MILE

God helps those who help THEMSELVES

Good things come in SMALL PACKAGES

Good things come to those WHO WAIT

Great minds THINK ALIKE



Hard work never did anyone ANY HARM

He who can does, he who cannot, TEACHES

He who fights and runs away, may live to fight ANOTHER DAY

He who laughs last laughs LONGEST

He who lives by the sword shall DIE BY THE SWORD

He who pays the piper CALLS THE TUNE

Hell hath no fury like a WOMAN SCORNED

History repeats ITSELF

Home is where the HEART IS

Honesty is the BEST POLICY

Hope springs ETERNAL

Horses for COURSES



If anything can go wrong, IT WILL

If a job is worth doing it is worth doing WELL

If at first you don't succeed try, try AND TRY AGAIN

If God had meant us to fly he'd have given us WINGS

If it ain't broke, don't FIX IT

If life deals you lemons, make LEMONADE

If the cap fits, WEAR IT

If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go TO THE MOUNTAIN

If the shoe fits, WEAR IT

If you can't be good, BE CAREFUL

If you can't beat em, JOIN EM

If you can't stand the heat get out of THE KITCHEN

If you pay peanuts, you get MONKEYS

If you want a thing done well, DO IT YOURSELF

Ignorance is BLISS

Imitation is the sincerest form of FLATTERY

In for a penny, in for A POUND

It ain't over till the fat LADY SINGS

It is better to give than TO RECEIVE

It never rains but IT POURS

It takes one to KNOW ONE

It takes two to TANGO

It's better to have loved and lost than never to have LOVED AT ALL

It's never too LATE

It's no use crying over SPILT MILK

It's no use locking the stable door after the horse HAS BOLTED

It's the early bird that catches THE WORM

It's the squeaky wheel that gets THE GREASE



Jack of all trades, master OF NONE

Judge not, that ye be not JUDGED



Keep your chin UP

Keep your friends close and your enemies CLOSER

Keep your powder DRY



Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you WEEP ALONE

Laughter is the best MEDICINE

Least said, soonest MENDED

Less is MORE

Let bygones be BYGONES

Let sleeping dogs LIE

Let the punishment fit THE CRIME

Let well ALONE

Life begins at FORTY

Life is just a bowl OF CHERRIES

Life is what you MAKE IT

Lightning never strikes twice IN THE SAME PLACE

Like father, LIKE SON

Little things please LITTLE MINDS

Live and let LIVE

Live for today for tomorrow NEVER COMES

Look before YOU LEAP

Love of money is the root of ALL EVIL

Love makes the world GO ROUND

Love thy neighbour AS THYSELF

Love will find A WAY



Make hay while the sun SHINES

Make love not WAR

Man does not live by bread ALONE

Manners maketh MAN

Many a mickle makes A MUCKLE

Many a true word is spoken in JEST

Many hands make LIGHT WORK

March comes in like a lion, and goes out LIKE A LAMB

March winds and April showers bring forth May FLOWERS

Marriages are made in HEAVEN

Marry in haste, repent at LEISURE

Mighty oaks from little acorns GROW

Moderation in ALL THINGS

Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for its living, And a child that's born on the Sabbath day Is fair and wise and GOOD AND GAY.

Money doesn't grow ON TREES

Money is the root of ALL EVIL

Money makes the world GO ROUND

More haste, less SPEED



Necessity is the mother of INVENTION

Needs must when the devil DRIVES

Never go to bed on AN ARGUMENT

Never judge a book by ITS COVER

Never look a gift horse IN THE MOUTH

Never put off until tomorrow what you can DO TODAY

Never speak ill OF THE DEAD

Never tell tales OUT OF SCHOOL

No man is an ISLAND

No names, no PACK-DRILL

No news is GOOD NEWS

No pain, NO GAIN

No rest for the WICKED

Nothing is certain but DEATH AND TAXES

Nothing succeeds like SUCCESS

Nothing ventured, NOTHING GAINED



Once bitten, TWICE SHY

One good turn DESERVES ANOTHER

One half of the world does not know how THE OTHER HALF LIVES

One man's meat is another MAN'S POISON

One might as well be hanged for a sheep AS A LAMB

One law for the rich and another for THE POOR

One swallow does not make A SUMMER

Only fools and horses WORK

Opposites ATTRACT

Out of sight, OUT OF MIND



Patience is a VIRTUE

Pearls of WISDOM

People who live in glass houses shouldn't THROW STONES

Physician, heal THYSELF

Practice makes PERFECT

Practice what you PREACH

Prevention is better than CURE

Pride goes before A FALL

Put your best foot FORWARD



Rain before seven, fine before ELEVEN

Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, SHEPHERD'S WARNING

Revenge is a dish best SERVED COLD

Revenge is SWEET

Rob Peter to pay PAUL

Rome wasn't built IN A DAY



See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have GOOD LUCK; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day

See no evil, hear no evil, SPEAK NO EVIL

Seeing is BELIEVING

Seek and ye shall FIND

Share and share ALIKE

Silence is GOLDEN

Slow but SURE

Softly, softly, catchee MONKEY

Speak as you FIND

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will NEVER HURT ME

Still waters RUN DEEP

Strike while the iron IS HOT



Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care OF THEMSELVES

Tell the truth and shame THE DEVIL

That which does not kill us makes US STRONGER

The apple never falls far FROM THE TREE

The best things in life ARE FREE

The bigger they are, the harder THEY FALL

The bread always falls BUTTERED SIDE DOWN

The course of true love never did RUN SMOOTH

The customer is always RIGHT

The Devil finds work for idle HANDS TO DO

The Devil is in THE DETAILS

The early bird catches THE WORM

The end justifies THE MEANS

The exception which proves THE RULE

The female of the species is more deadlier THAN THE MALE

The good die YOUNG

The grass is always greener on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE

The hand that rocks the cradle RULES THE WORLD

The longest journey starts with A SINGLE STEP

The more the MERRIER

The more things change, the more they STAY THE SAME

The opera ain't over till the FAT LADY SINGS

The pen is mightier than THE SWORD

The proof of the pudding is IN THE EATING

The road to hell is paved with GOOD INTENTIONS

The squeaking wheel GETS THE GREASE

The truth will OUT

The way to a man's heart is through HIS STOMACH

The whole is greater than the sum of THE PARTS

There are two sides to every QUESTION

There but for the grace of God, GO I

There's a time and a place for EVERYTHING

There's an exception to every RULE

There's always more fish IN THE SEA

There's honour among THIEVES

There's many a good tune played on an OLD FIDDLE

There's many a slip 'twixt cup AND LIP

There's more than one way to SKIN A CAT

There's no accounting for TASTES

There's no fool like an OLD FOOL

There's no place like HOME

There's no smoke without FIRE

There's no such thing as a free LUNCH

There's no such thing as bad PUBLICITY

There's no time like THE PRESENT

There's nowt so queer AS FOLK

There's one born EVERY MINUTE

There's safety in NUMBERS

Third time LUCKY

Those who live in glass houses shouldn't THROW STONES

Those who sleep with dogs will rise WITH FLEAS

Thou shalt not KILL

Time and tide wait for NO MAN

Time FLIES

Time is a great HEALER

'tis better to have loved and lost, than NEVER TO HAVE LOVED AT ALL

To err is human; to forgive DIVINE

Too many cooks spoil the BROTH

Two heads are better than ONE

Two is company, but three's A CROWD

Two wrongs don't make A RIGHT



Variety is the spice OF LIFE



Waste not want NOT

What goes up must COME DOWN

What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the GANDER

When in Rome, do as THE ROMANS DO

When the cat's away the MICE WILL PLAY

When the going gets tough, the tough GET GOING

What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't GRIEVE OVER

Where there's a will there's A WAY

Why keep a dog and bark YOURSELF?

Wonders will never CEASE



You can choose your friends but you can't choose YOUR FAMILY

You can have too much of a GOOD THING

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't MAKE IT DRINK

You can't have your cake and EAT IT

You can't get blood out OF A STONE

You can't make a silk purse from A SOW'S EAR

You can't make an omelette without breaking A FEW EGGS

You can't run with the hare and hunt with THE HOUNDS

You can't take it WITH YOU

You can't teach an old dog NEW TRICKS

You can't judge a book by its COVER

You can't win THEM ALL

You pays your money and you takes YOUR CHOICE

You reap what you SOW

You win some, you lose SOME

Youth is wasted on the YOUNG


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