Section: «Proverbs»
A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial expression is a type of a conventional saying similar to proverbs and transmitted by oral tradition. The difference is that a proverb is a fixed expression, while a proverbial phrase permits alterations to fit the grammar of the context. Collectively, they form a genre of folklore.
To take the bull by the horns
To take counsel of one's pillow
To strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
To stick to somebody like a leech
To set the wolf to keep the sheep
To send (carry) owls to Athens
To run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
To rob one's belly to cover one's back
To put a spoke in somebody's wheel
To put (set) the cart before the horse
To pull the devil by the tail
To pull the chestnuts out of the fire for somebody
To pour water into a sieve
To pay one back in one's own coin
To measure other people's corn by one's own bushel
To measure another man's foot by one's own last
To make a mountain out of a molehill
To make (to turn) the air blue
