100 Idioms That Are Also Life Advice

No.	Item	Definition
1.	A bird in hand	Certain gains beat risky hopes.
2.	A chain is only strong	Weak links limit strength.
3.	A penny saved	Saving is earning.
4.	A rising tide lifts	Shared growth benefits all.
5.	A stitch in time	Fix problems early.
6.	A watched pot never boils	Waiting feels longer when watching.
7.	Actions speak louder	Deeds matter more than words.
8.	All good things	Good things take time.
9.	All’s well that ends well	Good outcome eases troubles.
10.	An ounce of prevention	Preventing beats fixing later.
11.	Bad news travels fast	Negativity spreads quickly.
12.	Barking up wrong tree	Blaming the wrong cause.
13.	Beat around the bush	Avoid saying it directly.
14.	Beauty is only skin-deep	Looks aren’t everything.
15.	Beggars can’t be choosers	Accept what’s available.
16.	Better late than never	Doing it late beats not.
17.	Better safe than sorry	Choose caution to avoid regret.
18.	Bite the bullet	Face something unpleasant bravely.
19.	Break the ice	Ease initial awkwardness.
20.	Burn the midnight oil	Work late into night.
21.	Call it a day	Stop working for now.
22.	Charity begins at home	Start helping close to you.
23.	Cleanliness is next to godliness	Being clean is virtuous.
24.	Count your blessings	Appreciate what you have.
25.	Curiosity killed the cat	Nosiness can be risky.
26.	Cut to the chase	Get to the point.
27.	Don’t bite off more	Don’t take on too much.
28.	Don’t burn your bridges	Don’t destroy future options.
29.	Don’t count your chickens	Don’t assume success too soon.
30.	Don’t cry over spilt milk	Don’t dwell on past mistakes.
31.	Don’t judge a book	Avoid judging by appearances.
32.	Don’t look a gift horse	Be grateful for gifts.
33.	Don’t make a mountain	Don’t exaggerate problems.
34.	Don’t put all eggs	Don’t risk everything on one thing.
35.	Don’t put off till tomorrow	Do it now.
36.	Don’t sweat the small stuff	Ignore minor annoyances.
37.	Easy come, easy go	Quick gains vanish quickly.
38.	Every cloud has silver lining	Good can follow bad.
39.	Forgive and forget	Release resentment and move forward.
40.	Get a taste of own medicine	Receive same treatment you gave.
41.	Get your act together	Become organized and responsible.
42.	Give the benefit of doubt	Assume good intentions.
43.	Go the extra mile	Do more than required.
44.	Hang in there	Keep going; don’t quit.
45.	Haste makes waste	Rushing causes mistakes.
46.	Home is where heart is	Belonging matters most.
47.	Honesty is best policy	Truthfulness works best long-term.
48.	If it ain’t broke	Don’t change what works.
49.	Keep it simple	Avoid unnecessary complexity.
50.	Keep your chin up	Stay hopeful and brave.
51.	Keep your cool	Stay calm under pressure.
52.	Keep your eyes on prize	Focus on your goal.
53.	Keep your nose clean	Stay out of trouble.
54.	Kill them with kindness	Respond kindly to hostility.
55.	Knowledge is power	Learning gives advantage.
56.	Less is more	Simplicity can be better.
57.	Let bygones be bygones	Move on from old conflicts.
58.	Let sleeping dogs lie	Don’t revive old trouble.
59.	Let the chips fall	Accept whatever happens.
60.	Live and let live	Allow others their choices.
61.	Look before you leap	Think first; act later.
62.	Make hay while	Use opportunities while they last.
63.	Make the best of it	Find good in bad situations.
64.	Many hands make light work	Teamwork reduces effort.
65.	Mind your own business	Don’t meddle in others’ affairs.
66.	Miss the boat	Lose an opportunity.
67.	Money can’t buy happiness	Wealth doesn’t guarantee joy.
68.	No pain, no gain	Effort brings rewards.
69.	Once in a blue moon	Very rarely.
70.	Out of sight, out of mind	Forgotten when not seen.
71.	Pick your battles	Choose conflicts wisely.
72.	Practice what you preach	Live by your own advice.
73.	Pull your weight	Do your fair share.
74.	Put your best foot forward	Make a good impression.
75.	Read between the lines	Infer the hidden meaning.
76.	Roll with the punches	Adapt to difficulties.
77.	Rome wasn’t built	Great things take time.
78.	See the writing on wall	Notice signs of trouble.
79.	Slow and steady wins	Consistency beats haste.
80.	Still waters run deep	Quiet people may be profound.
81.	Strike while iron’s hot	Act at the right moment.
82.	Take it with a grain	Be skeptical of claims.
83.	The early bird	Start early to succeed.
84.	The grass is greener	Others’ lives seem better.
85.	The pen is mightier	Words can beat force.
86.	The squeaky wheel	Complaints get attention.
87.	This too shall pass	Hard times are temporary.
88.	Time is money	Time has real value.
89.	Time will tell	Truth becomes clear later.
90.	Turn the other cheek	Don’t retaliate to insults.
91.	Two wrongs don’t make right	Retaliation doesn’t fix anything.
92.	Waste not, want not	Save resources to avoid need.
93.	What goes around	Karma comes back to you.
94.	When in Rome	Adapt to local customs.
95.	When it rains, it pours	Troubles often come together.
96.	When push comes to shove	When action becomes necessary.
97.	Where there’s a will	Determination finds a way.
98.	You can’t have it all	Trade-offs are inevitable.
99.	You can’t please everyone	Not everyone will approve.
100.	You reap what you sow	Consequences follow your actions.