Enriching our speech: 45 English analogues of Russian proverbs

Let's imagine a regular working day in an American office, offers englishdom. During the working day you can hear a lot of funny phrases. For example, a senior manager may cheer his subordinates like this: “It is useless to cry over spilled milk. Today we can still achieve great success! ” “That's right! Rome was not built in one day, ”adds his assistant. Milk? Rome? What?!

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It's simple: English proverbs work. Like the Russian language, English is replete with ornate and bright winged expressions.

To understand their sometimes not entirely transparent meaning, we will study some sayings that are 100% useful to you in a conversation in English. C'mon!

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Top 45 English sayings and proverbs

Original: Don't cross the bridge until you come to it.

• Literally: Do not cross the bridge until you reach it.
• Russian counterpart: Do not say “gop” until you jump over.

Original: Don't make a mountain out of an anthill.

• Literally: Do not make a mountain from an anthill.
• Russian analogue: Do not make an elephant out of a fly.

Original: The cat is out of the bag. / Truth will out.

• Literally: The cat came out of the bag. / True (will) drive out.
• Russian counterpart: Everything secret always becomes apparent.

Original: Put your best foot forward.

• Literally: Put your best leg forward.
• Russian counterpart: Try to make the best impression (appear in the best light).

Original: It's better to be safe than sorry.

• Literally: Better to be careful than sorry.
• Russian analogue: God saves the safe.

Original: Don't bite off more than you can chew.

• Literally: Do not bite off more than you can chew.
• Russian counterpart: Do not dig into a piece that you can’t swallow. / Do not take on too much.

Original: Still waters run deep.

• Literally: Still waters flow deep.
• Russian analogue: In a quiet pool there are devils.

Original: Curiosity killed the cat.

• Literally: Curiosity killed the cat.
• Russian counterpart: Curious Barbara in the bazaar tore off his nose.

Original: You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.

• Literally: If you scratch my back, then I scratch yours.
• Russian analogue: Hand washes a hand. / One good turn deserves another. / You - to me, I - to you.

Original: Two wrongs don't make a right.

• Literally: Two fallacies do not make (one) the truth.
• Russian analogue: Evil of evil cannot be corrected. / The second error does not correct the first.

Original: The pen is mightier than the sword.

• Literally: The pen is stronger than the sword.
• Russian analogue: The word is worse than a pistol.

Original: The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

• Literally: Lubricate first the wheel that creaks.
• Russian analogue: Water does not flow under a lying stone. / Want to live, know how to spin.

Original: No man is an island.

• Literally: Man is not an island.
• Russian counterpart: Alone in the field is not a warrior.

Original: People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

• Literally: People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
• Russian analogue: He sees a speck in the prying eye, but does not notice the logs in his own eye. / Pot calls the kettle black?

Original: Birds of a feather flock together.

• Literally: Birds of one flight come together.
• Russian analogue: A fisherman sees a fisherman from afar. / A friend to his own will.

Original: There's no such thing as a free lunch.

• Literally: There is no free lunch.
• Russian counterpart: Free cheese - only in a mousetrap.

Original: The early bird catches the worm.

• Literally: An early bird catches a worm.
• Russian counterpart: Whoever gets up early, God gives to him. / Who first got up - that and slippers.

Original: Beggars can't be choosers.

• Literally: Poor people cannot be selectors.
• Russian analogue: Fishlessness and cancer are fish. / Hunger is not an aunt. / In need, every bread is tasty.

Original: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

• Literally: Beauty (is) - in the eye of the beholder.
• Russian analogue: There are no comrades for the taste and color. / Tastes differ. / Beauty sees each in its own way.

Original: A penny saved is a penny earned.

• Literally: Penny Saved - Penny Earned.
• Russian analogue: The penny saves the ruble.

Original: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

• Literally: Separation causes the heart to become hotter.
• Russian analogue: Love in separation is growing stronger. / Further from the eyes - closer to the heart.

Original: A cat may look at a king.

• Literally: A cat can look at a king.
• Russian counterpart: Not holy pots burn.

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Original: A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

• Literally: Little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
• Russian analogue: Knowledge is worse than ignorance. Undereducated worse than unlearned.

Original: Like father, like son.

• Literally: Like a father, so a son.
• Russian counterpart: The apple is not far from the apple tree.

Original: All good things must come to an end.

• Literally: All good things must end.
• Russian analogue: A little bit of good. / Not all Shrovetide cat, Great Lent will come.

Original: One drop of poison infects the whole tun of wine.

• Literally: One drop of poison infects an entire barrel of wine.
• Russian analogue: A fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey.

Original: Easy come, easy go.

• Literally: Easy to come, easy to go.
• Russian counterpart: Easily found - easily lost. / It came in a swoop - left in the dust.

Original: You can't have your cake and eat it too.

• Literally: You cannot have your own cake and eat it too.
• Russian analogue: Do you like to ride, love and carry a sleigh.

Original: A great dowry is a bed full of brambles.

• Literally: A rich dowry is a bed full of thorns.
• Russian counterpart: It is better to marry a wretched than to scold a rich one.

Original: A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

• Literally: There is no need for a prosecutor of a guilty conscience.
• Russian analogue: Cat feels, whose meat is eaten. / A bad conscience keeps you awake.

Original: A Jack of all trades is master of none.

• Literally: Jack, who takes on many crafts, does not own a single one well.
• Russian counterpart: It takes everything, but not everything works out. Seven nannies have a child without an eye.

Original: A liar is not believed when he speaks the truth.

• Literally: A liar is not believed even when he is telling the truth.
• Russian counterpart: Once lied - forever became a liar.

Original: A little body often harbors a great soul.

• Literally: A great soul often lurks in a small body.
• Russian counterpart: Small spool, yes expensive.

Original: A rolling stone gathers no moss.

• Literally: A rolling stone does not overgrow with moss.
• Russian analogue: Whoever doesn’t sit on the spot will not make any good. / Walking around the world - no good.

Original: You cannot teach old dogs new tricks.

• Literally: Old dogs cannot be taught new tricks.
• Russian analogue: Young - will go crazy, and old - will not change. / You cannot accustom an old dog to a chain.

Original: Who keeps company with the wolf, will learn to howl.

• Literally: Whoever wolves with wolves will learn howling.
• Russian analogue: With whom you will lead, from that you will be typed.

Original: When the fox preaches, take care of your geese.

• Literally: When a fox talks about morality - take care of geese.
• Russian counterpart: Shed crocodile tears. / Watch out for the crocodile when it sheds tears.

Original: We never know the value of water till the well is dry.

• Literally: We never know how valuable water is until the well dries.
• Russian counterpart: What we have, do not store, lost, cry.

Original: That throw a stone in one's own garden.

• Literally: Throw a stone in your own garden.
• Russian analogue: Put a pig for yourself.

Original: A leopard cannot change its spots.

• Literally: Leopard cannot change its spots.
• Russian analogue: Correct the hunchback grave.

Original: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

• Literally: A bird in the hands is worth two in the bush.
• Russian analogue: Better a tit in the hands than a crane in the sky.

Original: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

• Literally: A chain is as strong as its weakest link.
• Russian analogue: Where it is thin, there it breaks.

Original: He that mischief hatches mischief catches.

• Literally: Whoever bears evil, receives evil.
• Russian counterpart: Mouse tears pour out to the cat.

Original: As the fool thinks, so the bell clinks.

• Literally: As a fool thinks, so the bell rings.
• Russian analogue: No law has been written for fools.

Original: Where there's muck there's brass.

• Literally: Where there is dirt, there are copper coins.
• Russian counterpart: You can’t catch a fish from a pond without labor. / Who does not take risks, does not drink champagne.

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