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About This Quiz
Think you know your proverbs? The English language is full of them. Proverbs are short and snappy sayings that are in common use. They always state some kind of broad advice or general truth. They are a short and cute way of expressing bits of common wisdom that can apply to almost anyone, across a wide range of life's situations. They often relate to things like handling money, love, work, loss, friendship, status, health and other things that all people are concerned with on a regular basis. Proverbs cover the trials, tribulations, pleasures, pitfalls, successes and failures of life that everyone experiences on a daily basis.
These sayings are short and concise. They contain a wise thought or general belief. They are also often referred to as maxims or adages. Famous English language proverbs include sayings like "Haste makes waste." People often use them or variations of them in everyday conversation without thinking. Variations of them pop up all the time because they are so ingrained in the English language. Some have even been around for centuries.
If you are an English language lover who has a handle on proverbs, put your knowledge to the test with the world's most proverbial quiz!
If it ain't broke, don't ______ it.
sell
fix
This phrase means that if something is working, don't try to change it. It is thought to have come from the early 20th century American South.
weigh
keep
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The pen is _________ than the sword.
mightier
This phrase means that using words to solve problems can be more powerful than violence. It was coined by playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839.
weaker
bluer
longer
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Give the ______ his due.
warden
angel
devil
This phrase means that eventually everyone will have to make good on what they owe, whether it's in money or favors. This proverb was referenced as an already existing phrase in Shakespeare's "Henry V Part 1."
grocer
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An eye for an ________.
image
everything
answer
eye
This proverb means that for every misdeed there should be an equal punishment. This comes from the Code of Hammurabi, the first written code of law.
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If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must ______ to the mountain.
go
This phrase means that if sheer will cannot get you the results you want, you will have to adapt. This phrase comes from the story of Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
bow
fall
dance
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________ starts at home.
calamity
love
learning
charity
This old proverb means that it is important to take care of your family and those close to you before you start taking care of others. Similar ideas were expressed in the King James Bible and by various authors as early as the 14th century.
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Necessity is the ________ of invention.
mother
This saying means that tricky situations often inspire people to create clever solutions. Some credit it to Plato.
judge
keeper
bellwether
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Know which way the wind _________.
sinks
colors
blows
This phrase means that one should always be aware of the shifting circumstances around them so they can plan for the future. Variations of this were in common use in the 19th century.
goes
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For every _______ there is a season.
love
song
thing
This phrase means that everything has its appropriate time. This proverb comes from Ecclesiastes 3 in the King James version of the Bible.
dime
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Let not the sun go down on your _________.
love
misery
wrath
This is essentially the old form of "Don't go to bed angry." The earliest form of this in English can be found in the 1535 Coverdale's Bible.
wealth
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A good man is _______ to find.
easy
hard
This phrase means that it is hard to find a suitable partner. It was first coined in 1918 by Eddie Green, as a title of a song he wrote.
expensive
slippery
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The early _______ catches the worm.
child
bird
This proverb means that success will come to those who prepare well and work hard. It was included in a 17th-century book of English proverbs, meaning that even in those days it was already a well-known saying.
clock
doctor
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The ______ makes work for idle hands to do.
master
mother
devil
This phrase means that people who are not kept busy will often get into trouble. It appeared in writing for the first time in a fourth-century letter by the theologian Jerome.
keeper
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Keep your hands _______.
green
young
clean
To keep your hands clean means to stay out of trouble. This is an 18th-century English saying.
dusty
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No man is an _________.
onion
island
This phrase means that everyone needs help from others to survive. It comes from a quotation of the 16th- and 17th-century English poet John Donne.
ice cube
orange
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Take it with a grain of ________.
sand
flour
magic
salt
This phrase means to listen to what is being said, but maintain a healthy skepticism about it. This phrase dates back to Pliny's "Naturalis Historia," written in 77 AD.
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A friend in need is a friend ________.
indeed
The true origins of this proverb are debated, but versions of it were in writing by the third century B.C. Its meaning is also debated, but usually it indicates that someone who needs something from you will definitely appear to be your friend.
for life
in chains
on the hill
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Beauty is only _______ deep.
dollar
smile
skin
This proverb was first found in a 17th-century work, by a man describing his wife. It means that outer beauty is superficial and does not necessarily indicate someone is a good person.
lipstick
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A ______ rots from the head down.
ladder
fish
This proverb means that when a large organization or state fails, it is because of poor leadership. Variants of this proverb exist around the world and sources have placed its origins from China to Greece.
dinner
man
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Half a _________ is better than no bread.
card
cup
child
loaf
This axiom means that even if you didn't get exactly what you wanted, something is better than nothing. It is found in writing for the fist time in a 16th-century collection of proverbs.
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All that glitters is not ________.
rich
gold
This proverb means that things that look attractive from without are not necessarily valuable. Shakespeare is the best known user of this proverb. It appears in his play "The Merchant of Venice."
diamond
tall
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In for a penny, in for a _______.
salad
dubloon
mouse
pound
This saying means that if you start something, you should see it through to completion wholeheartedly. No one knows where it came from, but it's seen in several writings from the 17th century.
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Know on which side your bread is _________.
stale
buttered
This phrase means that you should know on which side of a conflict your interests lie. It dates back to a 16th-century glossary of proverbs, meaning that it probably existed for a long time before then.
rich
purple
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A _______ cannot change its spots.
dog
fish
camel
leopard
This saying means that things cannot change their innate nature. This saying has its roots in the King James version of the Bible.
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Let bygones _______ bygones.
eat
marry
be
This phrase means to let unpleasant past events be forgotten. It was used in Shakespeare's 1611 play, "The Winters Tale."
take
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A man who is his own lawyer has a _______ for a client.
lover
fool
The meaning of this phrase is literal, as self-representation in a court of law famously ends badly most of the time. It first began appearing in print in the early 19th century.
victor
prisoner
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No rest for the _______.
poor
famous
beautiful
wicked
While people often use this phrase jokingly to mean that there is no down time for them, its literal original meaning is that sinners will be tormented in hell. It was initially printed in Coverdale's 1535 Bible.
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Physician, _______ thyself.
love
heal
This phrase means that one should work on their own flaws before they point out other people's. It comes from the King James version of the Bible.
stop
prove
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Back ________ square one.
on
in
on top of
to
This phrase means to go back to the beginning of something. No one is sure of its exact origin, but some say it was inspired by the old board game Snakes and Ladders.
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The _______ hour is just before the dawn.
last
sweetest
largest
darkest
This axiom means that there is hope even in the bleakest of circumstances. The source of this proverb is not known, but it has been found in writings dating back to the 17th century.
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Let ________ dogs lie.
old
sleeping
This phrase means to not interfere with a favorable and stable situation. A version of this was expressed by Chaucer in the 14th century, but it is thought to be a much older idea.
hungry
red
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Hell has no fury like a _______ scorned.
woman
This proverb means that a woman who has been betrayed is more terrifying than anything in hell. This phrase is usually credited to the English poet and playwright William Congreve.
demon
father
cat
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Great _______ think alike.
hearts
dogs
minds
This proverb is literal. It dates back to at least the early 17th century.
winds
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Keep your nose to the __________.
sky
wind
grindstone
This means to apply yourself to your work. A variation was first seen in writing in the 16th century.
yard
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A house divided against itself cannot ________.
fall
gift
stand
This expression is literal - by house it means household. This comes from the King James version of the Bible.
believe
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You Got:
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