"examples are standard proverbs. Where the English proverbs above are meant to make a potential customer smile, in one of the Zimbabwean examples ""both the content of the proverb and the fact that it is phrased as a proverb secure the idea of a secure time-honored relationship between the company and the individuals"". When newer buses were imported, owners of older buses compensated by painting a traditional proverb on the sides of their buses, ""Going fast does not assure safe arrival"". There are often proverbs that contradict each other, such as ""Look before you leap"" and ""He who hesitates is"
"list of things to do before one dies, is derived from ""to kick the bucket"". Kick the bucket To kick the bucket is an English idiom, considered a euphemistic, informal, or slang term meaning 'to die'. Its origin remains unclear, though there have been several theories. A common theory is that the idiom refers to hanging, either as a method of execution or suicide. However, there is no evidence to support this. Its earliest appearance is in the ""Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue"" (1785), where it is defined as 'to die'. In John Badcock's slang dictionary of 1823, the explanation"
"I should die before I 'wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. </poem> <poem> Now I lay me down to sleep I pray Thee Lord, my soul to keep If I should die before I wake I pray Thee Lord, my soul to take If I should live for other days I pray Thee Lord, to guide my ways Amen </poem> <poem> Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, His Love to guard me through the night, And wake me in the morning's light."" </poem> <poem> Now I lay me"
"equivalent English seafaring phrase is, ""Between a rock and a hard place"". The Latin line ""incidit in scyllam cupiens vitare charybdim"" (he runs into Scylla, wishing to avoid Charybdis) had earlier become proverbial, with a meaning much the same as jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Erasmus recorded it as an ancient proverb in his ""Adagia"", although the earliest known instance is in the ""Alexandreis"", a 12th-century Latin epic poem by Walter of Châtillon. The myth was given an allegorical interpretation by the French poet Barthélemy Aneau in his emblem book ""Picta Poesis"" (1552). There one is advised"
"become wiser, to become more skillful, to so act as to respect thyself."" Thereby shalt thou acquire confidence in thyself to achieve thy carefully considered desires."" This section begins with a Babylonian proverb about luck. ""If a man be lucky, there is no foretelling the possible extent of his good fortune. Pitch him into the Euphrates and like as not he will swim out with a pearl in his hand."" Arkad chats with another group of men and tells them that the Goddess of Good Luck smiles upon those who work hard, save their money, and invest well. She doesn't"
"what is before thee; And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties, for they are breads of falsehood."""" (Proverbs 23:4–5):""""Toil not to become rich, And cease from dishonest gain; For wealth maketh to itself wings, Like an eagle that flieth heavenwards"""" (Amenemope, ch. 7):""Toil not after riches; If stolen goods are brought to thee, they remain not over night with thee. They have made themselves wings like geese. And have flown into the heavens."" (Proverbs 23:9):""""Speak not in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise"
"In bocca al lupo In bocca al lupo (, ""into the mouth of the wolf"") is an Italian idiom originally used in opera and theatre to wish a performer good luck prior to a performance. The standard response is crepi il lupo! (, ""may the wolf die"") or, more commonly, simply crepi! (""may it die""). Equivalent to the English actor's idiom ""break a leg"", the expression reflects a theatrical superstition in which wishing a person ""good luck"" is considered bad luck. The expression is commonly used in Italy off stage, as superstitions and customs travel through other professions and then"
"Hymn Before Action ""Hymn Before Action"" is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling in 1896. It takes the form of a prayer by troops to God and to Mary on the eve of battle. The poem was inspired by the 1860 hymn ""The Church's One Foundation"" by Samuel John Stone. It was written and published in ""The Times"" at a time when news of the botched Jameson Raid of January 1896 reached Britain. Accordingly, it has been read as an expression of foreboding about increasing Great Power hostility to Britain – ""The Nations in their harness / Go up against"
"for action: ""When the sloe tree is white as a sheet, sow your barley whether it be dry or wet"" or attempt to forecast future climate: ""If oak's before ash, you're in for a splash. If ash before oak, you're in for a soak"". But the indications can be pretty unreliable, as an alternative version of the rhyme shows: ""If the oak is out before the ash, 'Twill be a summer of wet and splash; If the ash is out before the oak,'Twill be a summer of fire and smoke."" Theoretically, though, these are not mutually exclusive, as one forecasts"
"himself in water after sending off the scapegoat to Azazel, and a similar requirement was imposed on the person who led the scapegoat away, and the person who burned the sacrifices during the rituals of the day. The Mishnah states that the High Priest had to immerse himself five times, and his hands and feet had to be washed ten times. In modern Orthodox Judaism, there is a widespread minhag for the laity including men to immerse themselves on the day prior to Yom Kippur and often do so before the three pilgrimage festivals, and before Rosh Hashanah; some Haredi"
"jump a medicine man would stand on the edge of the upper cliff, facing up the ridge. He would take a pair of bison hindquarters and pointing the feet along the lines of stones he would sing his sacred songs and call upon the Great Spirit to make the operation a success. After this invocation the medicine man would give the two head drivers a pouch of incense. As the two head drivers and their helpers headed up the ridge and the long line of stones they would stop and burn incense on the ground repeating this process four times."
"and wonders, In life, in death made clear— Jehovah of the Thunders, Lord God of Battles, hear!</poem> Hymn Before Action ""Hymn Before Action"" is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling in 1896. It takes the form of a prayer by troops to God and to Mary on the eve of battle. The poem was inspired by the 1860 hymn ""The Church's One Foundation"" by Samuel John Stone. It was written and published in ""The Times"" at a time when news of the botched Jameson Raid of January 1896 reached Britain. Accordingly, it has been read as an expression of foreboding"
"excellent in these things.<br> 39. Only do the things that cannot hurt you, and deliberate before you do them.<br> 40. Never allow sleep to close your eyelids, after you went to bed,<br> 41. Until you have examined all your actions of the day by your reason.<br> 42. In what have I done wrong? What have I done? What have I omitted that I ought to have done?<br> 43. If in this examination you find that you have done wrong, reprove yourself severely for it;<br> 44. And if you have done any good, rejoice.<br> 45. Practise thoroughly all these things; meditate"
"There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip is a very old proverb, similar in meaning to ""don't count your chickens before they hatch"". It implies that even when a good outcome or conclusion seems certain, things can still go wrong. The English proverb is almost identical with a Greek hexameter verse, Πολλὰ μεταξὺ πέλει κύλικος καὶ χείλεος ἄκρου (Much there is between the cup and the tip of the lip). This verse was proverbial at the time of Aulus Gellius (2nd century A.D.), who mentions it in"
"may provide stronger, more durable, seed for sowing in all types of situation - albeit there may be differences in taste and quality to consider too. The phrase ""pearls before swine"" has become a common expression in English. There is a ""Pearls Before Swine"" comic strip, a Pearls Before Swine American psychedelic folk band, and ""Pearls Before Swine"" is an alternate title for Kurt Vonnegut's novel ""God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater"". In the play ""A Streetcar Named Desire"" by Tennessee Williams, there is a reference: """"But I have been foolish - casting my pearls before swine!"""" referring to this verse."
"then they can no longer conceal or transform themselves. Then patiently await the lucky day on which you will offer a sacrifice of wine and dried meat, and then pluck them with a prayer on your lips, always approaching from the east using Yü's Pace and with your vital breaths well retained. (tr. Ware 1966:179-180) Yü' s Pace: Advance left foot, then pass it with the right. Bring the left up to the right foot. Advance right foot, then pass it with the left. Bring the right up to the left foot. Advance left foot, then pass it with the"
"of spring, they swim up from the sea and gather in vast numbers in the pool at the foot of the falls. It used to be said that only 71 could make the climb in any year. When the first succeeded, then the rains would begin to fall. This Dragon Gate was said to have been created after the flood by the god-emperor Yu, who split a mountain blocking the path of the Yellow River. It was so famous that throughout China was a common saying, ""a student facing his examinations is like a carp attempting to leap the Dragon"
"sources see it as a parable about pride and humility, providing advice on how to survive in turbulent times. This in turn gave rise to various proverbs such as 'Better bend than break' and 'A reed before the wind lives on, while mighty oaks do fall', the earliest occurrence of which is in Geoffrey Chaucer's ""Troilus and Criseyde"" (II.1387-9). It so happens that there is an overlap here with the old Chinese proverb 'A tree that is unbending is easily broken'. The saying originally occurred in the religious classic, the ""Tao Te Ching"", with the commentary that 'The hard and"
"those who follow the Tao. The treasure of humility, in Chinese is a six-character phrase instead of a single word: ""Bugan wei tianxia xian"" 不敢為天下先 ""not dare to be first/ahead in the world"". Ellen Chen notes that The third treasure, daring not be at the world's front, is the Taoist way to avoid premature death. To be at the world's front is to expose oneself, to render oneself vulnerable to the world's destructive forces, while to remain behind and to be humble is to allow oneself time to fully ripen and bear fruit. This is a treasure whose secret spring"
"Jumping after Wirkola Jumping after Wirkola, idiom of Norwegian origin (""hoppe etter Wirkola""), signifying the prospect of and the difficulties associated with embarking on a task where one's immediate predecessor has accomplished an unusually good job. Its nearest English equivalent is ""a hard act to follow"". The difficulties alluded to may be both practical and psychological in nature, and are sometimes related to the aspect of the situation that no one really cares how you are doing, as the surroundings might have spent all their attention forces and enthusiasm admiring and applauding your predecessor. The etymology of this eponymous idiom"
"evils. He lost six of his companions, but if he had gone near Charybdis all would be doomed. Because of such stories, having to navigate between the two hazards eventually entered idiomatic use. Another equivalent English seafaring phrase is ""Between a rock and a hard place"". The Latin line ""incidit in scyllam cupiens vitare charybdim"" (""he runs into Scylla, wishing to avoid Charybdis"") had earlier become proverbial, with a meaning much the same as jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Erasmus recorded it as an ancient proverb in his ""Adagia"", although the earliest known instance is in the"
"respect for royalty. Rabbi Joshua ben Levi taught that those who dream of shaving should rise early and say the words of ""And Joseph shaved himself and changed his clothes,"" to prevent thinking of Samson's less favorable encounter with the razor in ""If I am shaven, then my strength will go from me."" Noting the differences between the narrator's account of Pharaoh's dreams in and Pharaoh's recounting of them to Joseph in a Midrash taught that Pharaoh somewhat changed his account so as to test Joseph. As reported in Pharaoh said, ""Behold, there came up out of the river seven"
"I should embrace this manner of life. But Thou knowest that in ascending this pillar, I lean on Thee alone, and that to Thee alone I look for the happy issue of mine undertaking. Accept, then, my object: strengthen me that I finish this painful course: give me grace to end it in holiness."" The following is the advice he gave to his disciples just before his death:""Hold fast humility, practice obedience, exercise hospitality, keep the fasts, observe the vigils, love poverty, and above all maintain charity, which is the first and great commandment; keep closely bound to all that"
"home before six o'clock in the evening. Children are also instructed to avoid being noisy at places where nuno are believed to dwell. Children are also warned to ask permission or give fair notice before passing by such places inhabited by the nuno, which is done by saying """"tabi tabi po""""(literally """"please be on the side"""" or """"please move aside"""", that is, you tell the nuno to stand aside), or ""please let me pass by"" or ""I mean no harm as I pass through your territory, Old Man of the Mound"". Although most people that believe in the spirit respect"
"at the Passover seder. And thus the Mishnah taught that ""On the eve of Passover, . . . even the poorest man in Israel must not eat until he reclines; and they (the overseers of charity) should give him not less than four cups of wine."" A Baraita taught that Rabbi Simai deduced from the similarity of the phrases ""And I will take you to me for a people"" and ""And I will bring you in to the land"" in that the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt occurred under circumstances similar to their entry into the Land of Israel. Rabbi Simai"
"צְבָאוֹת, עַל-יְרוּשָׁלִָם; גָּנוֹן וְהִצִּיל, פָּסֹחַ וְהִמְלִיט.) () Both meanings become apparent in Exodus 12:23 when parsed as: the Lord will pass (hover, guard) over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer (destroying angel is commanded to pass by the children of Israel) to come in unto your houses to smite. The term ""Pesach"" (Hebrew: ) may also refer to the lamb or goat which was designated as the Passover sacrifice (called the ""Korban Pesach"" in Hebrew). Four days before the Exodus, the Hebrews were commanded to set aside a lamb (), and inspect it daily for blemishes. During the"
"nemesis in Greek mythology. The proverb ""pride goeth (goes) before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall"" (from the biblical Book of Proverbs, 16:18) is thought to sum up the modern use of hubris. Hubris is also referred to as ""pride that blinds"" because it often causes a committer of hubris to act in foolish ways that belie common sense. In other words, the modern definition may be thought of as, ""that pride that goes just before the fall."" Examples of hubris are often found in literature, most famously in John Milton's ""Paradise Lost"", in which Lucifer attempts to compel"
"ceremonies, often months prior to the whale hunt. It was believed that through the spirit world the ""haw’iih"" and his wife could connect to the whale, determining a successful hunt or not. Beginning in the early morning the whaling chief would bathe four times, being sure to completely submerge himself each time. After each submersion the chief would then take bundles of various branches and nettles and rub them over his entire body. While the bathing the chief would slowly and purposefully imitate a whales actions and movements in the water, rising to the surface and blowing water from his"
"Code""), ""Chhbap Srey"" (""Girl's Code"") and ""Chhbap Peak Chas"" (""Code of Ancient Words"") gave such advice as: a person that does not wake up before sunrise is lazy; a child must tell parents or elders where they go and what time they will return home; always close doors gently, otherwise a bad temper will be assumed; sit in a chair with the legs straight down and not crossed (crossing the legs is a mark of an impolite person); and always let the other person do more talking. In Cambodia it is not polite to make eye contact with someone who"
"Law of holes The first law of holes, or the law of holes, is an adage which states that ""if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging"". Digging a hole makes it deeper and therefore harder to get back out, which is used as a metaphor that when in an untenable position, it is best to stop carrying on and exacerbating the situation. The adage has been attributed to a number of sources. It appeared in print on page six of ""The Washington Post"" dated October 25, 1911, in the form: ""Nor would a wise man, seeing that he"
"feeble, So when will you before God be worshipful?"" Clearly proverbs in religion are not limited to monotheists; among the Badaga of India (Sahivite Hindus), there is a traditional proverb ""Catch hold of and join with the man who has placed sacred ash [on himself]."" Proverbs are widely associated with large religions that draw from sacred books, but they are also used for religious purposes among groups with their own traditional religions, such as the Guji Oromo. The broadest comparative study of proverbs across religions is ""The eleven religions and their proverbial lore, a comparative study. A reference book to"
"Adage An adage (; Latin: adagium) is a concise, memorable, and usually philosophical aphorism that communicates an important truth derived from experience, custom, or both, and that many persons consider true and credible because of its longeval tradition, i. e. being handed down generation to generation, or memetic replication. An adage sometimes implicates a failure to plan, such as ""do not count your chickens before they hatch"" and ""do not burn your bridges"". Adages may be interesting observations, ethical rules, or skeptical comments on life in general. Some adages are products of folk wisdom that attempt to summarize a basic"
"Prayer Before Birth Prayer Before Birth is a poem written by the Irish poet Louis MacNeice (1907–1963) at the height of the Second World War. In the poem, Louis MacNeice expresses his fear at what the world's tyranny can do to the innocence of a child and blames the human race ""for the sins that in me the world shall commit"". The poem also contains many religious themes and overtones through the use of double-imagery; the child could be seen as a metaphor for Christ, making reference to certain themes and events said to have occurred during his ministry on"