English For All: American proverbs (A)

American Proverbs (A)

Proverbs are popularly defined as short expressions of popular wisdom. Efforts to improve on the popular definition have not led to a more precise definition. The wisdom is in the form of a general observation about the world or a bit of advice, sometimes more nearly an attitude toward a situation.

A

A handful of gold is a heart of iron.
- Material wealth and prosperity in no way denotes honest labor or ethical practices.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
- It's better to keep what little you have, than to risk it for something more.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Act your age, not your shoe size. (Also, "Act your age, not your IQ")
- Act maturely.

Actions speak louder than words, but words of action speak proudly.
- Actions will inspire people to do what they believe, but words will inspire people to believe what they do.

A good friend is someone who will bail you out of jail, but your best friend is the one sitting next to you saying "Man, that was fun!"
- A close friend will help you out of a dark situation, but your best friend will always be with you even in the darkest of days.

A fool and his money are soon parted
- Spend wisely
A friend in need, is a friend indeed!
- Friends who benefit from you are easily had

A horse with two heads wins no races. (another variant: Too many chiefs, and not enough Indians)
- A situation has too many people trying to lead, with no unified direction.

All hat, no cattle
- used to describe someone who is pretending to be something they're not (such as wearing a cowboy hat and acting like a cowboy, when you don't have any cows).

All's fair in love and war.

All's fair in love, war and journalism.

Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Variant: Close only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and tactical nuclear weapons

Variant: Close only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and carpet bombings

Variant: Close only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and government work.

Variant: Close only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and drive-in movies!

Explanation: In the game of horseshoes, if the horseshoe lands within a certain distance of the target, it gets a point. Grenades only need to be thrown within a certain distance of a person to work, and with nuclear weapons and carpet bombings, accuracy is only moderately necessary.

A man who acts as his own attorney has a fool for a client.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
- Originated in the 1900s as a marketing slogan dreamed up by American growers concerned that the temperance movement would cut into sales of apple cider. (Michael Pollan, The Botany of Desire, Random House, 2001, ISBN 0375501290, p. 22, cf. p. 9 & 50)

An idle mind is the devil's workshop/playground
- The more lazy or less productive you are, the more prone you are to bad temptation and ideas.

An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. - Unknown

A penny saved is a twopence earned.

Variant: A penny saved is a penny earned.

Saving is another form of earning. - Ben Franklin

As California goes, so goes the nation.
- If one person does something interesting, people will soon follow. [Referring to fads or bandwagon appeals]

As the crow flies
- A statement-ending expression meaning, "if you could go in a straight line to your destination." Often used when referring to the location of a destination in terms of time or distance. For instance, "It is six miles away as the crow flies" or, "It takes two hours as the crow flies but the creek is flooded so you'll have to take the long way around."