Robert Christy, comp. Proverbs, Maxims and Phrases of All Ages. 1887.
Word
A blemish may be taken out of a diamond by careful polishing, but if your words have the least blemish there is no way to efface it.Chinese.
A common word is always correct.Polish.
A deluge of words and a drop of sense.
A good word always finds its man.German.
A good word extinguishes more than a pail full of water.Spanish.
A good word for a bad one is worth much and costs little.Italian.
A good word is as soon said as a bad one.
A good word stills great anger.German.
A kind word leads the cow into the stable.
A spoken word is silver, an unspoken one gold.German.
A spoken word will not be called back.German.
A word and a stone let go cannot be called back.
A word before is worth two after.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.Bible.
A word hurts more than a wound.
A word in earnest is as good as a speech.Dickens.
A word isn’t a bird, if it flies out you’ll never catch it again.Russian.
A word is sufficient between man and man.Hans Andersen.
A word is worth a dollar, silence two.German.
A word once out flies anywhere.French.
A word once sent abroad flies irrevocably.Horace.
A word spoken in season, at the right moment, is the mother of ages.Carlyle.
A word spoken is an arrow let fly.
A word to the wise is sufficient.Latin.
A word unreasonably spoken may mar the course of a whole life.Greek.
A word uttered may bring wealth as well as ruin.Tamil.
Ae ill word meets anither an it were at the brig of London.
All food is good to eat but all words are not fit to speak.
An acute word cuts deeper than a sharp weapon.
An unkind word falls easily from the tongue but a coach with six horses cannot bring it back.Chinese.
Bad words find bad acceptance.
Bad words make a woman worse.
Bare words buy no barley.
Better a good word than a battle.
Better break your word than do worse in keeping it.
Better one living word than a hundred dead ones.Dutch.
Better one word in time than two after.
Big words seldom go with good deeds.Danish.
Changes o’ words are lightening o’ hearts.
Cool words scald not the tongue.
David did not slay Goliah with words.Icelandic.
Deliver not your words by number but by weight.
Evil words corrupt good manners.Dutch.
Fair words and foul play cheat both young and old.
Fair words break no bones, but foul words many a one.
Fair words, but look to your purse.Italian.
Fair words butter no parsnips.
Fair words don’t fill the pockets.
Fair words fill not the belly nor mind always.
Fair words make me look at my purse.
Fair words please the fool and sometimes the wise.Danish.
Fair words will never pluck out the tongue.French.
Fair words won’t feed a cat.Italian.
Fair words won’t fill the sack.Dutch, Danish.
Faithful are the words of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Few words are best.
Few words darken speech and so do too many.Ben Jonson.
Few words, many deeds.
Few words sufficeth to a wise man.
Fine words will not keep a cat from starving.
Fine words without deeds go not far.Danish.
Foolish ears need sharp words.Dutch.
For mad words deaf ears.
Good words and bad deeds deceive both wise and simple.Spanish, Portuguese.
Good words and no deeds are rushes and reeds.
Good words are better than bad strokes.Shakespeare.
Good words cool more than cold water.
Good words cost no more than bad.
Good words cost nothing but are worth much.
Good words fill not a sack.
Half a word to the wise is enough.Dutch.
He keeps his word as the sun keeps butter.Dutch.
Ill words are bellows to a slackening fire.
Immodest words admit of no defence,
For want of decency is want of sense.Roscommon.
It is bitter fare to eat one’s own words.Danish.
It takes many words to fill a sack.Danish.
Kind words don’t wear out the tongue.Danish.
Kind words heal friendship’s wounds.Danish.
Let no word escape you unsuitable to the occasion.Pericles.
Let thy words be few.Bible.
Many words, an unsound heart.Turkish.
Many words hurt more than swords.
Many words, little work.German.
More is done with words than with hands.German.
No word is ill spoken that is not ill taken.Portuguese.
Of big words and feathers many go to the pound.German.
One good word quenches more heat than a bucket of water.Italian.
One honest word is better than two oaths.Turkish.
One ill word asketh another.
One word before is better than ten afterwards.Danish.
One word brings on another.Italian.
Pleasant words are valued and do not cost much.Italian.
Smooth words do not flay the tongue.Italian.
Smooth words make smooth ways.
Soft words break no bones.
Soft words don’t scratch the tongue.French.
Soft words hurt not the mouth.
Soft words warm friends, bitter words lasting enemies.
Sometimes words hurt worse than swords.
Sugared words generally prove bitter.Spanish.
Sweet words butter no parsnips.
Take a horse by his bridle and a man by his word.Dutch.
Take a man by his word and a cow by her horns.French.
The spoken word cannot be swallowed.Russian.
The word goes from the lips and passes to thousands.Modern Greek.
The word impossible, is not in my dictionary.Napoleon.
The word that has escaped thee is thy master, that which you retain thy slave.French.
The words of the good are like a staff in a slippery place.Hindu.
To rude words deaf ears.French.
Twix’t the word and the deed there’s a long step.French.
Under fair words beware of fraud.Portuguese.
Use soft words and hard arguments.
We should be as careful of our words as of our actions.Cicero.
What harm is there in a good word, it costs nothing?German.
What you keep by you you may change and mend,
But words once spoken can never be recalled.Roscommon.
When the word is out it belongs to another.
When the words are said the holy water’s made.French.
When you give others ill words you rail at yourself.
Wise words and great seldom agree.
With words to combat ill befits the brave.Homer.
Words and feathers are tossed by the wind.
Words are but empty thanks.Cibber.
Words are but sands, ’tis money buys lands.
Words are female, deeds are male.Italian.
Words are good when works follow.German.
Words are men’s daughters, but God’s sons are things.Johnson.
Words are like leaves and where they most abound,
Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.Pope.
Words are the voice of the heart.Confucius.
Words are the wings of action.Lavater.
Words are women, deeds are men.Herbert.
Words don’t fill the belly.Portuguese.
Words fine and bold, are goods half sold.German.
Words of snow which fell last year.German.
Words often do more than blows.German.
Words once spoken cannot be wiped out with a sponge.Danish.
Words show the wit of a man, but actions his meaning.
Words spoken in the evening the wind carrieth away. (In the heat of conviviality men talk carelessly.)
Words will not do for my aunt for she does not put faith even in deeds.Spanish.
Words without thoughts never to heaven go.Shakespeare.
Words won’t feed cats.Italian.
You may gain by fair words, what may fail you by angry ones.Danish.