Proverbs Words

Vocabulary-style flashcards based on common proverbs and idioms from the lecture transcript.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

What you have is worth more than what you might have later

Don't count your chickens before they hatch

Don't count on something good happening until it's happened.

Don't cry over spilt milk

There's no reason to complain about something that can't be fixed

there is no free lunch

used to say that it is not possible to get something that is desired or valuable without having to pay for it in some way

a stitch in time (saves nine)

used to say that it is better to fix a problem when it is small than to wait and let it become a bigger problem

let sleeping dogs lie

to ignore a problem because trying to deal with it could cause an even more difficult situation

better the devil you know than the devil you don't

used to say that it is better to deal with a difficult person or situation one knows than with a new person or situation that could be worse

he who pays the piper calls the tune

used to say that the person who pays for something controls how it is done

He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon

one must exercise extreme caution, maintain distance, and be wary when dealing with dangerous, treacherous, or evil people

Long spoon

maintain distance

strike while the iron is hot

to do something immediately while there is still a good chance to do it

uneasy/heavy is the head that wears the crown

with great power comes great responsibility

Don’t reinvent the wheel

if it aint broke dont fix it

It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war

better to be prepared than not