- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
- Origin: Not every egg hatches. [From Aesop’s fables]
- Meaning: Don’t be prematurely confident.
- The squeaky wheel gets the grease
- Origin: You grease up a noisy wheel because you noticed it.
- Meaning: Someone that complains gets attention.
- Actions speak louder than words.
- Meaning: Our deeds reveal who we are better than words show who we are
- A penny saved is a penny earned.
- Origin: Money saved is as valuable as money earned.[Not quite true; it’s worth more since the penny saved isn’t taxed.]
- Meaning: This proverb underscores the virtue of frugality and the importance of thriftiness in financial matters. It encourages wise spending and saving habits, suggesting that even small savings can accumulate to significant wealth over time.
- Bite the bullet
- Origin: Operations done without anesthetic can only offer something to bite on to distract from the pain.
- Meaning: Do something painful but necessary.
- Easy as pie
- Meaning: Something that is easy and pleasant to do.
- Get a taste of your own medicine
- Meaning: If you treat others badly you will be treated the same way.
- Go the extra mile
- Meaning: Make more effort than expected.[Biblical admonition to do more than is legally required]
- Hit the hay
- Origin: Primitive beds were often just hay.
- Meaning: A casual way to say you’re going to sleep.
- In hot water
- Origin: Boiling water cooks things. We wouldn’t want to be there.
- Meaning: Caught in a problematic or risky situation.
- It’s not rocket science and It’s not brain surgery
- Meaning: It’s not difficult to understand so don’t overcomplicate it.
- Jump on the bandwagon
- Origin: At a parade someone might jump on the wagon a band was playing on but contribute nothing.
- Meaning: Join others when things are popular.
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Origin: An unscrupulous seller might put a cat in a bad but claim it’s a piglet.
- Meaning: Revealing a secret prematurely or accidentally.
- Miss the boat
- Origin: If you’re too late the boat leaves without you.
- Meaning: Arrive too late to take advantage of something.
- No pain, no gain
- Meaning: Success demands hard work or sacrifice.
- On the fence – American English
- Origin: A fence divides two places. Being on the fence is uncomfortable and leaves you on neither side.
- Meaning: Indecisive on a side or position.
- Out of sight, out of mind.
- Meaning: We can easily forget about things things or people who are not present.
- Spill the beans
- Origin: A cook who spills the beans ruins the meal.
- Meaning: To reveal confidential or hidden information.
- The early bird catches the worm.
- Origin: When a robin is hunting worms the bird that shows up first has something to catch.
- Meaning: Those who act quickly are more likely to achieve their goals. It emphasizes the value of seizing opportunities before they slip away.
- Too many cooks spoil the broth.
- Meaning: Too many people in charge will ruin things
- When pigs fly
- Meaning: Something that will never happen.
- You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
- Meaning: There are limits to our influence and persuasion.
- You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.
- Meaning: Progress or success requires accepting setbacks or making difficult choices.
These are sourced from the excellent site below.