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1 it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail
глупо проковтнути корову і подавитися її хвостом ≅ плив, плив, а при березі втопивсяEnglish-Ukrainian dictionary of proverbs > it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail
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2 _різне
aim at the stars, but keep your feet on the ground all are not thieves that dogs bark at all cats are grey in the dark all roads lead to Rome always lend a helping hand among the blind the one-eyed man is king as the days grow longer, the storms are stronger at a round table, there is no dispute of place a bad excuse is better than none a bad vessel is seldom broken be just before you're generous be just to all, but trust not all the best things come in small packages the best way to resist temptation is to give in to it better alone than in bad company better an empty house than a bad tenant better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion better ride an ass that carries me than a horse that throws me better to beg than to steal, but better to work than to beg better a tooth out than always aching between two stools one goes to the ground a bird may be known by its flight a bird never flew on one wing a bit in the morning is better than nothing all day a bleating sheep loses a bite a blind man would be glad to see a blind man needs no looking glass bread always falls buttered side down a burden which one chooses is not felt butter to butter is no relish cast no dirt in the well that gives you water the chain is no stronger than its weakest link a change is as good as a rest Christmas comes but once a year circumstances after cases cleanliness is next to godliness the cobbler's wife is the worst shod a cold hand, a warm heart comparisons are odious consistency is a jewel consideration is half of conversation a creaking door hangs long on its hinges desperate diseases must have desperate remedies the devil looks after his own diamond cut diamond dirt shows the quickest on the cleanest cotton discontent is the first step in progress do as you would be done by dog does not eat dog a dog that will fetch a bone will carry a bone a dog will not cry if you beat him with a bone do not spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar do not throw pearls before swine do your best and leave the rest with God do your duty and be afraid of none don't be a yes-man don't cut off your nose to spite your face don't drown yourself to save a drowning man don't look a gift horse in the mouth don't spur a willing horse don't strike a man when he is down don't swap the witch for the devil eagles don't catch flies eagles fly alone, but sheep flock together the English are a nation of shopkeepers even a stopped clock is right twice a day every cock sings in his own way every fish that escapes seems greater than it is every man is a pilot in a calm sea every medal has its reverse side every thing comes to a man who does not need it every tub smells of the wine it holds evil communications corrupt good manners the exception proves the rule exchange is no robbery extremes meet facts are stubborn things familiarity breeds contempt fast bind, fast find fields have eyes, and woods have ears fight fire with fire figure on the worst but hope for the best fingers were made before forks the fire which lights us at a distance will burn us when near the first shall be last and the last, first follow your own star forbearance is no acquittance the fox knows much, but more he that catches him from the day you were born till you ride in a hearse, there's nothing so bad but it might have been worse from the sweetest wine, the tartest vinegar fruit is golden in the morning, silver at noon, and lead at night gambling is the son of avarice and the father of despair the game is not worth the candles a gentleman never makes any noise the gift bringer always finds an open door the giver makes the gift precious a good horse cannot be of a bad colour a good tale is none the worse for being twice told good riddance to bad rubbish the greatest right in the world is the right to be wrong the half is more than the whole half a loaf is better than no bread half an orange tastes as sweet as a whole one hawk will not pick out hawk's eyes the heart has arguments with which the understanding is unacquainted he may well swim that is held up by the chin he that doesn't respect, isn't respected he that lies down with dogs must rise with fleas he that would live at peace and rest must hear and see and say the best he who is absent is always in the wrong he who follows is always behind the higher the climb, the broader the view history is a fable agreed upon hitch your wagon to a star the ideal we embrace is our better self if a bee didn't have a sting, he couldn't keep his honey if a sheep loops the dyke, all the rest will follow I fear Greeks even when bringing gifts if each would sweep before his own door, we should have a clean city if the cap fits, wear it if the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain if you cannot bite, never show your teeth if you cannot have the best, make the best of what you have if you cannot speak well of a person, don't speak of him at all if you leave your umbrella at home, it is sure to rain if you wish to see the best in others, show the best of yourself ill news travels fast ill weeds grow apace an inch breaks no square it always pays to be a gentleman it costs nothing to ask it is easier to descend than ascend it is easier to pull down than to build up it is good fishing in troubled waters it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back it is sometimes best to burn your bridges behind you it is well to leave off playing when the game is at the best it is not clever to gamble, but to stop playing it's a small world it takes all sorts to make a world it takes a thief to catch a thief jealousy is a green-eyed monster jealousy is a proof of self-love keep a dress seven years and it will come back into style keep no more cats than will catch mice kindle not a fire that you cannot extinguish kissing goes by favor jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today a joy that's shared is a joy made double justice is blind lay not the load on the lame horse learn to creep before you leap let the cock crow or not, the day will come the longest road is sometimes the shortest way home lookers-on see most of the game man does not live by bread alone many are called but few are chosen many go out for wool and come home shorn many stumble at a straw and leap over a block men cease to interest us when we find their limitations a misty morn may have a fine day the mob has many heads but no brains the moon is not seen when the sun shines the more the merrier mountain has brought forth a mouse much water runs by the mill that the miller knows not of name not a halter in his house that hanged himself the nearer the bone, the sweeter the meat never be the first by whom the new is tried nor yet the last to lay the old aside never do anything yourself you can get somebody else to do never is a long time never let your left hand know what your right hand is doing never make a bargain with the devil on a dark day never quarrel with your bread and butter never tell tales out of school a nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse no joy without alloy no man is a hero to his valet no mud can soil us but the mud we throw no names, no pack-drill no news good news no one but the wearer knows where the shoe pinches none is so blind as they who will not see none of us is perfect nothing is certain but the unforeseen nothing is easy to the unwilling nothing is so good but it might have been better nothing is stolen without hands nothing new under the sun nothing seems quite as good as new after being broken an old poacher makes the best keeper once is no rule one dog barks at nothing, the rest bark at him one good turn deserves another one half of the world does not know how the other half lives one hand washes the other one man's meat is another man's poison one picture is worth ten thousand words one volunteer is worth two pressed men one whip is good enough for a good horse; for a bad one, not a thousand opposites attract each other the orange that is squeezed too hard yields a bitter juice other people's burdens killed the ass out of the mire into the swamp painted flowers have no scent paper is patient: you can put anything on it people condemn what they do not understand pigs might fly the pitcher goes often to the well please ever; tease never plenty is no plague the porcupine, whom one must handle gloved, may be respected but is never loved the proof of the pudding is in the eating the remedy is worse than the disease reopen not the wounds once healed a rolling stone gathers no moss the rotten apple injures its neighbors scratch my back and I shall scratch yours the sea refuses no river seize what is highest and you will possess what is in between seldom seen, soon forgotten silence scandal by scandal the sharper the storm, the sooner it's over the sheep who talks peace with a wolf will soon be mutton since we cannot get what we like, let us like what we can get small faults indulged in are little thieves that let in greater solitude is at times the best society some people are too mean for heaven and too good for hell the soul of a man is a garden where, as he sows, so shall he reap sour grapes can never make sweet wine sow a thought and reap an act the sow loves bran better than roses a stick is quickly found to beat a dog with still waters run deep stoop low and it will save you many a bump through life a straw shows which way the wind blows a stream cannot rise above its source the style is the man the sun loses nothing by shining into a puddle the sun shines on all the world the sun will shine down our street too sunday plans never stand suspicion may be no fault, but showing it may be a great one sweetest nuts have the hardest shells the tail cannot shake the dog take things as they are, not as you'd have them tastes differ there are more ways of killing a dog than hanging it there is always room at the top there is life in the old dog yet there is no rose without a thorn there is small choice in rotten apples there is truth in wine there's as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it they need much whom nothing will content they that dance must pay the fiddler they walk with speed who walk alone those who hide can find three removals are as bad as a fire to the pure all things are pure to work hard, live hard, die hard, and go to hell after all would be hard indeed too far east is west translation is at best an echo a tree is known by its fruit a tree often transplanted neither grows nor thrives two can play at that game two dogs over one bone seldom agree venture a small fish to catch a great one the voice with a smile always wins wear my shoes and you'll know where they pitch we weep when we are born, not when we die what can you have of a cat but her skin what can't be cured must be endured what matters to a blind man that his father could see what you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail when a dog is drowning, everyone offers him drink when in doubt, do nowt when interest is lost, memory is lost when a man lays the foundation of his own ruin, others will build on it when a river does not make a noise, it is either empty or very full when the devil is dead, he never lacks a chief mourner when two ride on one horse one must sit behind where bees are, there is honey where it is weakest, there the thread breaks who seeks what he should not finds what he would not why keep a dog and bark yourself? a wonder lasts but nine days the worth of a thing is best known by its want the world is a ladder for some to go up and some down would you persuade, speak of interest, not of reason you buy land, you buy stones; you buy meat, you buy bones you can take a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink you can tell the day by the morning you cannot lose what you never had you cannot touch pitch and not be defiled you can't put new wine in old bottles you can't walk and look at the stars if you have a stone in your shoe your looking glass will tell you what none of your friends will zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse
См. также в других словарях:
it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail — Quot. 1721 explains the meaning. 1659 J. HOWELL Proverbs (English) 13 To swallow an Ox, and be choaked with the tail. 1721 J. KELLY Scottish Proverbs 190 It is a Shame to eat the Cow, and worry [choke] on the Tail. It is a Shame to perform a… … Proverbs new dictionary
swallow — noun see one swallow does not make a summer the robin and the wren are God’s cock and hen; the martin and the swallow are God’s mate and marrow verb see it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail … Proverbs new dictionary
cow — see why buy a cow when milk is so cheap? a bellowing cow soon forgets her calf better a good cow than a cow of a good kind it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail three things are not to be trusted: a cow’s horn, a dog’s tooth, and a… … Proverbs new dictionary
idle — see an idle brain is the devil’s workshop idle people have the least leisure as good be an addled egg as an idle bird the devil finds work for idle hands to do it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail … Proverbs new dictionary
tail — see every herring must hang by its own gill the higher the monkey climbs the more he shows his tail it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail … Proverbs new dictionary
choke — see it is idle to swallow the cow and choke on the tail there are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream there are more ways of killing a dog than choking it with butter … Proverbs new dictionary
Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, Thematic Index — absence absence makes the heart grow fonder he who is absent is always in the wrong the best of friends must part blue are the hills that are far away distance lends enchantment to the view out of sight, out of mind … Proverbs new dictionary
