| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | A rolling stone gathers no moss | England: Constant movement prevents lasting attachments. |
| 2. | A stitch in time saves nine | England: Prompt repairs prevent bigger problems. |
| 3. | A watched pot never boils | England: Impatient waiting makes time seem slower. |
| 4. | Actions speak louder than words | England: Behavior matters more than promises. |
| 5. | All that glitters is not gold | England: Attractive appearances can conceal poor quality. |
| 6. | All’s well that ends well | England: A good outcome outweighs earlier difficulties. |
| 7. | Appetite comes with eating | France: Experience can increase desire. |
| 8. | Beauty is only skin deep | England: Physical attractiveness does not establish character. |
| 9. | Beggars can’t be choosers | England: Dependence limits your freedom to choose. |
| 10. | Better alone than in bad company | Spain: Solitude beats harmful companionship. |
| 11. | Better late than never | England: Delayed action beats complete inaction. |
| 12. | Better safe than sorry | England: Precaution is preferable to regret. |
| 13. | Blood is thicker than water | Scotland: Family ties are especially strong. |
| 14. | Charity begins at home | England: Care first for those closest. |
| 15. | Clothes do not make the man | France: Appearance does not determine character. |
| 16. | Distant water won’t quench fire | China: Remote help cannot solve urgent problems. |
| 17. | Dogs bark; the caravan moves on | Turkey: Progress continues despite criticism. |
| 18. | Don’t cry over spilt milk | England: Accept mistakes you cannot undo. |
| 19. | Dripping water wears away stone | China: Persistent effort overcomes substantial obstacles. |
| 20. | Drop by drop, a lake is formed | Turkey: Small contributions accumulate into something substantial. |
| 21. | Dumplings over flowers | Japan: Practical benefits outweigh decorative pleasures. |
| 22. | Easy come, easy go | England: Easily gained things are easily lost. |
| 23. | Enough is as good as a feast | England: Having sufficient resources should satisfy. |
| 24. | Even monkeys fall from trees | Japan: Even experts make mistakes. |
| 25. | Every dog has its day | England: Everyone eventually gets an opportunity. |
| 26. | Experience is the best teacher | England: Practical experience teaches powerful lessons. |
| 27. | Failure is the mother of success | China: Mistakes teach lessons that enable success. |
| 28. | Fall seven times, stand up eight | Japan: Persist despite repeated setbacks. |
| 29. | Familiarity breeds contempt | England: Excessive closeness can reduce respect. |
| 30. | Fear has big eyes | Russia: Fear exaggerates dangers. |
| 31. | Forewarned is forearmed | England: Advance knowledge enables preparation. |
| 32. | Fortune favors the bold | Italy: Courage increases opportunities for success. |
| 33. | Full belly, happy heart | Spain: Satisfying basic needs supports contentment. |
| 34. | Good accounts make good friends | France: Clear financial dealings preserve friendships. |
| 35. | Good fences make good neighbors | United States: Clear boundaries help preserve relationships. |
| 36. | Good medicine tastes bitter | China: Helpful advice can be unpleasant. |
| 37. | Great talents mature late | China: Exceptional abilities may develop slowly. |
| 38. | Half a loaf is better than none | England: Something is preferable to nothing. |
| 39. | Haste makes waste | England: Rushing causes mistakes and unnecessary effort. |
| 40. | He who hesitates is lost | England: Delayed decisions can cost opportunities. |
| 41. | Honesty is the best policy | England: Truthfulness is the wisest approach. |
| 42. | Hope dies last | Russia: Hope survives other losses. |
| 43. | Hunger is the best sauce | Greece: Need makes simple things more enjoyable. |
| 44. | If the cap fits, wear it | England: Accept criticism that accurately describes you. |
| 45. | It takes two to tango | United States: Both parties contribute to shared situations. |
| 46. | Knowledge is power | England: Understanding increases your ability to act. |
| 47. | Let sleeping dogs lie | England: Avoid reviving settled troubles. |
| 48. | Lies have short legs | Germany: Lies cannot remain hidden indefinitely. |
| 49. | Live and let live | Netherlands: Tolerate other people’s choices. |
| 50. | Look before you leap | England: Consider risks before acting. |
| 51. | Love conquers all | Italy: Love can overcome great obstacles. |
| 52. | Love is blind | England: Affection can obscure someone’s faults. |
| 53. | Make hay while the sun shines | England: Use favorable opportunities while they last. |
| 54. | Many hands make light work | England: Shared effort makes tasks easier. |
| 55. | Measure seven times, cut once | Russia: Prepare carefully before irreversible action. |
| 56. | Money doesn’t grow on trees | England: Money is limited and requires effort. |
| 57. | Money talks | United States: Wealth gives people influence. |
| 58. | Morning is wiser than evening | Russia: Rest can improve your judgment. |
| 59. | Necessity knows no law | Italy: Urgent need can override ordinary rules. |
| 60. | No man is an island | England: Everyone depends on other people. |
| 61. | No pain, no gain | United States: Improvement requires effort and discomfort. |
| 62. | No rose without a thorn | France: Good things also have drawbacks. |
| 63. | Nothing succeeds like success | France: Achievement attracts further opportunities. |
| 64. | Nothing ventured, nothing gained | England: Achievement requires taking risks. |
| 65. | Old habits die hard | England: Established behaviors are difficult to change. |
| 66. | Once bitten, twice shy | England: Bad experiences make people cautious. |
| 67. | One hand washes the other | Italy: Mutual assistance benefits both parties. |
| 68. | One swallow does not make summer | Greece: One example cannot establish a trend. |
| 69. | Opposites attract | England: Different personalities can draw each other. |
| 70. | Out of sight, out of mind | England: Absent people or things are forgotten. |
| 71. | Physician, heal thyself | Israel: Address your own faults before others’. |
| 72. | Practice makes perfect | England: Repetition improves skill. |
| 73. | Prevention is better than cure | Netherlands: Avoiding trouble beats fixing its consequences. |
| 74. | Pride goes before a fall | Israel: Arrogance can lead to downfall. |
| 75. | Rome wasn’t built in a day | France: Great achievements require time. |
| 76. | Seeing is believing | England: Direct evidence makes claims more convincing. |
| 77. | Shared sorrow is half sorrow | Germany: Sharing troubles reduces their emotional burden. |
| 78. | Silence gives consent | Italy: Not objecting can imply agreement. |
| 79. | Silence is golden | Switzerland: Saying nothing can be wise. |
| 80. | Slow and steady wins the race | Greece: Consistent effort can outperform reckless speed. |
| 81. | Still waters run deep | England: Quiet people may have profound thoughts. |
| 82. | Ten men, ten colors | Japan: People have different preferences and personalities. |
| 83. | The early bird catches the worm | England: Acting early brings advantages. |
| 84. | The fish stinks from the head | Turkey: Organizational corruption starts with leadership. |
| 85. | The miser pays twice | Russia: Excessive thrift can increase eventual costs. |
| 86. | The nail that sticks up gets hit | Japan: Standing out can attract social pressure. |
| 87. | Time and tide wait for no man | England: Time passes regardless of anyone’s wishes. |
| 88. | Time is money | United States: Time has practical economic value. |
| 89. | Tomorrow’s wind blows tomorrow | Japan: Deal with tomorrow when it arrives. |
| 90. | Too many cooks spoil the broth | England: Excessive involvement can ruin shared work. |
| 91. | Trust, but verify | Russia: Confirm facts despite trusting someone. |
| 92. | Two wrongs don’t make a right | England: Retaliation does not justify wrongdoing. |
| 93. | United we stand, divided we fall | Greece: Cooperation provides strength against adversity. |
| 94. | Variety is the spice of life | England: Different experiences make life enjoyable. |
| 95. | Walls have ears | France: Private conversations may be overheard. |
| 96. | Waste not, want not | England: Avoiding waste helps prevent future shortages. |
| 97. | Well begun is half done | Greece: A good start greatly advances success. |
| 98. | What will be, will be | Spain: Some outcomes lie beyond personal control. |
| 99. | You can’t take it with you | United States: Wealth cannot accompany you after death. |
| 100. | You reap what you sow | Israel: Actions determine their eventual consequences. |