You cannot serve God and Mammon
Mammon is the god of riches. You must choose between godliness and worldliness. The source is Matthew, vi, 24, which is quoted under No man can serve two masters.
View ArticleYou cannot teach an old dog new tricks
As people get older they grow more set in their ways and do not welcome any innovation.
View ArticleYou may know by a handful the whole sack
The quality of the contents of a sack of corn, flour, etc., may be judged by the quality of a sample. Putting it another way, we do not have to eat the whole egg to know that it is bad. The proverb...
View ArticleYou may lead a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink
You may be acting in the best interests of the horse by taking him to the trough, but if he doesn’t want to drink is not going to – and that’s that. Similarly, you can do your utmost to make a person...
View ArticleYou must grin and bear it
This does not necessarily mean that you should endure misfortunes or difficulties with a broad smile, but rather that you should put up with them philosophically. ‘My wife has just flown out to Canada...
View ArticleYou must lose a fly to catch a trout
The fly is the bait on the angler’s hook. This proverbs means the same as Throw out a sprat to catch a mackerel. It is worth sacrificing a little in order to gain a great deal more.
View ArticleYou never know what you can do till you try
Don’t be a faint-heart and say, ‘I’ll never mange to do it’. Have a go, and you will be surprised at your own ability.
View ArticleYou scratch my back and I will scratch yours
You praise me and I will praise you; you flatter me and I will flatter you. Such a reciprocal arrangement has been described as a Mutual Admiration Society with a membership of two.
View ArticleThe young will sow their wild oats
To sow ones wild oats is to commit youthful excesses or follies and, having commuted them, to mend one’s ways. Thomas Nashe wrote over four hundred years ago: Youth ne’er aspires to virtues perfect...
View ArticleYouth will be served
Another version is Youth will have its course. Let the young enjoy themselves while they can. When all the world is young, lad, And all the trees are green; And every goose a swan, lad, And every lass...
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