Saturday, April 19, 2008 – 10:19 am
Proverb: Birds of a feather flock together.
Meaning:
Similar people tend to associate with each other.
This proverb is often shortened. Many people just say “Birds of a feather. . .”
This proverb is the opposite of the saying “Opposites attract.”
Example:
Max and Paula are sitting in the cafeteria at their school. They see a group of people that they do not like very much. All of the people in this group are a little mean. They are often rude to the other students at the school. Paula points to the group and then turns to Max.
“Every one of those people is a little mean. How did they all get to be friends with one another?” she asks.
“Well, birds of a feather flock together. Maybe that is the reason they are friends. They all act the same way,” Max answers.
“Maybe,” says Paula, “but I don’t like any of them very much.”
Proverb: Curiosity killed the cat.
Meaning:
Being curious can get you into trouble. (Often used to warn someone against prying into other’s affairs.)
Example:
Tom and Steve are walking down the street when they see a building that has been abandoned. There is wood over the windows and locks on the doors. There are weeds everywhere, and the garbage has been blown in by the wind. There is also a fence around the building to keep people out. The two boys hear a noise inside the building.
“I’m going to see what that noise is,” says Tom.
“You’d better not,” warns Steve, “Curiosity killed the cat, you know. It might be very dangerous. Let’s just go home instead.”
Proverb: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Meaning:
You use this proverb to warn someone not to plan anything that depends on a good thing you expect to happen in the future, and tell him/her to wait until it really happens. It is used to tell people not to be too sure that something good you hope for will really happen. It might not happen after all.
It is often shortened to “Don’t count your chickens.”
The “before they hatch” part can be substituted with “before they are hatched” or “before they’ve hatched.”
Example:
A: Here’s the list of the things I’m going to buy next month when I get money.
B: It looks great, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
“You might think the new president will fix all the problems in our company and we will get a raise, but don’t count your chickens.”
Proverb: The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Meaning:
You use this proverb to say that the things other people have or their situations always look better than your own, even when they are not really so.
It is often shortened to “The grass is greener on the other side,” or even ‘The grass is always greener.”
Example:
“Don’t compare your talents with others. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Just do your best.”
“You might think you’d be happy if you were working in my company, but, well, the grass is greener on the other side.”
