There are many stereotypes about the English, but you don’t really know them until you go to the UK and meet them in person. At least, that is what is usually said, because the truth is that we can prepare ourselves for their particular way of seeing life with a little prior information, which never hurts. For this, the.
Popular British sayings full of teachings that have been passed down from generation to generation, because they reflect the true essence of English culture. Do you want to know some of them? Keep reading, because we have prepared for you the most used English proverbs, their literal translation and the meaning of each of them.
The best English proverbs to reflect on
Eat, drink and be merry (for tomorrow we die)
Translation: Eat, drink and be happy, because tomorrow we will die.
Meaning: This is one of the best known English proverbs and one of the most valued because it invites you to live every moment. We really do not know what will happen tomorrow, so we must not waste every moment of happiness that life brings us.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
Translation: The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Meaning: human beings tend to see what the other has better than our own. Surely if you look at your neighbor you will see his grass is greener, but what this English proverb tells us is that your neighbor will probably also see your grass greener. So the best thing we can do is stop and value what we have and who we are.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Translation: Fools hurry to find out where angels fear to tread.
Meaning: This proverb is often said to warn someone against being reckless. Inexperience can make us get into eleven yards shirts, that is, we get into a good mess. By the way, a curious fact about this proverb is that it arose from the poem An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope in 1709.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder
Translation: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder or beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
Meaning: beauty is subjective and relative, so never let someone tell you that what you think is not beautiful, or that you look inadequate if you feel good about yourself. You know, if someone wants to limit your sense of aesthetics, tell them: ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’.
Kill two birds with one stone
Translation: Kill two birds with one stone.
Meaning – This proverb translates exactly the same as the Spanish and also means the same thing. It is usually used when we want to say that with an action several aspects or problems are solved at the same time.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Translation: Absence makes love grow.
Meaning: Sometimes we have to lose something (even for a few days) to value it. And it is that, as this English proverb says, absence make grow. It is a proverb that is used a lot in matters related to the heart. When a couple is separated for a while, it can make their love stronger. What do you think?
Do not judge a book by its cover
Translation: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Meaning: Don’t be swayed by first impressions and make an effort to get to know the people in your life without making unfounded value judgments. This proverb makes it clear, judging others by their appearance will not bring you anything good.
Too many cooks spoil the brother
Translation: Too many cooks ruin the brother.
Meaning: the English are clear that teamwork is good, but when it is orderly and everyone has their role. When there are too many people doing something that doesn’t require as many hands, it can be a disaster. Do you agree with this?
The early bird catches the worm
Translation: The early bird catches the worm.
Meaning: It is the equivalent proverb of ‘ who gets up early, God helps ‘ and it is that when we want to achieve success, the best way to do it is with perseverance, preparation and a lot of willpower.
It’s always darkest before the dawn
Translation: It is always darkest before dawn
Meaning: as our grandmothers used to tell us: ‘ hope is the last thing to be lost ‘. And it is that when things can look dark and gloomy, you have to remember that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Having that things will improve is essential so that we can see the solution to all our problems.
All that glitters is not gold
Translation: All that glitters is not gold.
Meaning: It is clear that one should not get carried away by what at first glance seems too good to be true. Caution is one of the main values of the English and this proverb makes it very clear.
Strike while the iron is hot
Translation: Strike while the iron is hot.
Meaning: every good blacksmith knows that you have to take advantage when the iron has finally reached the ideal temperature to hit and shape it. Using the metaphor of the blacksmith and the iron, the English use this proverb to tell others to take advantage of opportunities.
You cannot have your cake and eat it too
Translation: You can’t have the cake and eat it too.
Meaning: a very, very English proverb, since to understand it you have to use that overwhelming literal logic of the English idiosyncrasy. Once you eat the cake, you stop having it because it’s gone (well, more like inside you). In other words, what this fabulous proverb means is that you can’t have everything and sometimes you have to decide between keeping the cake in your possession and just letting it go.
Road to hell is paved with good intentions
Translation: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Meaning: especially those good intentions that are not well thought out and end up causing the opposite of what was intended. Before wanting to have a good intention in a situation, ask yourself if what you are thinking of doing will really help and not a real disaster.
The love of money is the root of all evil
Translation: The love of money is the root of all evil.
Meaning: Too much greed causes many, many problems. The English keep this proverb very present, although we must be honest, perhaps they have to use it more times than they should… Or perhaps it is a proverb that we should all apply to ourselves, wherever we live. What do you think?
A penny saved is a penny earned
Translation: A penny saved is a penny earned.
Meaning: The Anglo-Saxon thrifty character is well known throughout the world and this proverb shows that it is a reality. By the way, despite the fact that this proverb was verified in written form for the first time in 1661 in the famous work ‘The history of the worthies of England’ by Thomas Fuller, it was not a British person who popularized it, but a famous American. We are talking about Benjamin Franklin, who in 1737 used a similar phrase in Poor Richard’s Almanac. The phrase said: ‘A penny saved is two pence clear’, which translates as ‘A penny saved is two clear cents’. Although it was not exactly the same phrase, he was credited with the proverb for posterity. Curious, right?
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Translation: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Meaning: It could be said that this proverb is the same as in Spanish ‘a bird in hand is better than a hundred flying’. In short, what he means is that sometimes it is better to have something sure than too many perspectives of what you do not know if it will come true.
Many hands make light work
Translation: Many hands lighten the work.
Meaning: when you have a lot of work, the best thing you can do is ask for help and delegate. Among many, it will be possible to finish sooner.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Translation: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Meaning: in 1866 the magazine Notes and Queries mentioned this English saying for the first time and thanks to this it remained engraved in the minds of the English for generations. There is no Englishman who does not agree that the apple is one of the healthiest foods in the world. Of course, no one doubts it, although no matter how many apples you eat, you need something else to avoid visits to the doctor. Therefore, if we do not take it so literally, what the proverb comes to say is that if you eat healthy, you will avoid many health.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Translation: When there is a will, there is a way.
Meaning: it is clear that ‘ to want is to be able ‘ and when we have willpower we achieve what we set out to do and we always find the way to do it. A proverb that is as true as a temple, isn’t it?
Beggars cannot be choosers
Translation: Beggars can’t choose.
Meaning: This popular is said to someone who is complaining about a situation, a gift or an opportunity, because not everyone can choose. In other words, ‘don’t look in the teeth of a gift horse’.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease
Translation: The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Meaning: This proverb might seem strange at first glance, but it makes a lot more sense than you might imagine. Until the wheel on your bike doesn’t squeak, you probably won’t realize that it needs oil. Well, until you ask for help, others will not be able to offer it to you because they will not know that you need it. It’s a kind of English variant of the Spanish saying ‘he who doesn’t cry, no mom’.
People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Translation: People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
Meaning: everyone knows that the English character is not exactly sentimental. English culture despises excess sensitivity, especially that sensitivity that is not controlled and can explode, and this proverb is a good reflection of it. People in glass houses reflect that state of mind in which you are hanging by a thread, in which you cannot control yourself. Throwing stones refers to taking it with others. In other words, if you feel frustrated, failed or sensitive about something, don’t take it out on others by offering your worst face. That is your problem and you should fix it before you go out into the outside world.
