Sahil Gupta

OriginThe actual wording, comes from Thomas Gray’s poem, “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” (1742): “Where ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise.”ExplanationIf knowing something makes you unhappy, it would be better not to know it. For example, a poor father knows that his son would no longer be alive, at the […]

OriginThe original form of this proverb used to be ‘got’ or ‘gained’ instead of ‘earned’. That is recorded as early as the 17th-century, in George Herbert’s Outlandish Proverbs, circa 1633.ExplanationIf someone tells you that a penny saved is a penny earned, then you’re being encouraged to become thrifty and to watch your budget. In other

OriginThis proverb was first stated in 1791.ExplanationPeople will remember the way you appear when you first meet them, so it is important to look and act your best when you meet someone for the first time. Sometimes, we might misunderstand a person. We can’t judge a person just by looking at him/her once. There are

OriginThe proverb “live by the sword, die by the sword” has a biblical origin. It comes from a conversation between Jesus and His disciple Peter just before Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane.ExplanationThe saying “live by the sword, die by the sword” is an idiom that basically means “what goes around comes around.”

OriginThis metaphoric term dates from the 12th-century and was in John Heywood’s proverb collection of 1546. It first appeared in the Old English Homilies in 1175.ExplanationIt is used for emphasizing that you can make it easy for someone to do something, but you cannot force him to do it. In general usage, the meaning is

OriginThis phrase, for the most part, is seen in a poem called Hudibras. The first two parts of the poem were written by poet Samuel Butler in the years 1663 and 1664.ExplanationYou shouldn’t assume that something will definitely happen before it really does. Don’t make plans based on predicted results that haven’t occurred yet. This

OriginThis proverb was coined by Robert Lynd.ExplanationThe proverb which has been used by Robert Lynd means that if we expect or anticipate anything great, magnificent or splendid, we may have to be disappointed when we actually see that thing. We have seen many people in our life who have heavy expectations about certain things, but

OriginThis proverb, a synonym of look before you leap, was first recorded in 1477. Charles Churchill put it in poetic form: “Even in a hero’s heart, discretion is the better part” ( The Ghost, 1762). Shakespeare also used a form of it: “The better part of valour is discretion” ( 1 Henry IV, 5:4).ExplanationIt is

OriginIt is thought that the idiom originated in Wales during the 1860s, but, in Rustic Speech and Folklore, Elizabeth Wright first used the modern version of the phrase in 1913, which added to its fame. It was then widely circulated throughout the century and still remains popular.ExplanationApples are so nutritious that if you eat an

OriginThis statement, a proverb found in many languages, including ancient Greek, was first worded in precisely this way in English in Colonial Currency (1736).ExplanationThis proverb means that the values you have in life are judged more by how you live your life than by what you say. Here the word ‘speak’ does not mean literally

OriginThe proverb has been traced back to C. Kingley’s letter dated December 1, 1856. It first cited in the United States in the early twentieth-century. The proverb is found in varying forms: “A chain is as strong as its weakest link”; “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link”; “The strength of a

OriginThe origin is uncertain, although it’s clear that the phrase is ancient and that it predates modern English. The earliest known record is from St. Marher, 1225.ExplanationThis proverb illustrates the importance of time and also says that there is nothing which is more precious than time. The words TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN

OriginIt is from a poem (1865) by William Ross Wallace.ExplanationWomen, particularly mothers, have a decisive influence on the future direction of society because they raise and nurture the next generation. Children usually grow up in the care of their mothers. For a baby its mother fondly feeds it with milk, pats it and cradles it.

OriginBased on the line “Necessity, who is the mother of invention” in The Republic written by Plato (Greek author and philosopher, 427-347BC).ExplanationIt means, roughly, that the primary driving force for most new inventions is a need. This proverb statement tells that whatever man proposes as his objective to achieve by exercising his will-power, efforts and

OriginThe phrase is actually not biblical. It dates from the late 19th century in England and is credited as the creation of Anne Isabella Richie, daughter of writer William Makepeace Thackeray.ExplanationIt is more worthwhile to teach someone to do something than to do it for him. There are times where it is more beneficial to