English proverbs referring to animals

Bird

A bird in one hand is worth two in the bush.

Meaning: It's better to have a small actual advantage than the chance of a greater one.

Origin: The phrase has been known for centuries, but in a variety of slightly different versions. The earliest English version of the proverb is from the Bible and was translated into English in Wycliffe's version in 1382, although Latin texts have it from the 13th century: Ecclesiastes IX – „ A living dog is better than a dead lion“. Alternatives that explicitly mention birds in hand come later.

The earliest if those is in Hugh Rhodes' 'The boke of nurture or schoole of good maners', circa 1530: "A byrd in hand - is worth ten flye at large."

John Heywood, the 16th century collector of proverbs, recorded another version in his ambitiously titled 'A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue', 1546: "Better one byrde in hande than ten in the wood."

Slovak Counterpart: Lepší vrabec v hrsti, jako holub na streche. Lepší vrabec v hrsti, jako zajac v chrastí.

Birds of feather flock together.

Meaning: Like-minded people associate together, as do birds of the same species.

Origin: This proverb has been known by the late 16th century and recorded by Philemon Holland, in a translation of 'Livy's Romane historie', 1600, in its original form: "As commonly birds of a feather will flye together“

Slovak Counterpart: Vrana k vrane sadá, rovný rovného si hľadá.

The early bird catches the worm.

Meaning: Success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort

Origin: This is first recorded in John Ray's 'A collection of English proverbs 1670, 1678': "The early bird catcheth the worm." Clearly the title of the work indicates that this was considered proverbial even at the early date

Slovak Counterpart: Ranné vtáča ďalej kráča.

Old birds are not caught with chaff.

Meaning: Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Ostrieľanú líšku neprekabátiš.

Every bird loves to hear himself sing.

Meaning:Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Každá líška svoj chvost chváli.

Cat

When the cat´s away, the mice will play.

Meaning: Those in charge do not see what their "underlings" do in their absence; the powerful know not what goes on behind their backs.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Keď kocúr nie je doma, myši majú bál/raj/hody. Dobre myšiam, keď mačky doma nieto.

All cats are/appear grey in the dark.

Meaning: Darkness obscures distinguishing visual features, so that one may be easily mistaken / fooled. Under certain conditions, we all appear the same.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: V noci je každá krava čierna

Curiosity killed the cat.

Meaning: If you are too interested in things you should not be interested in, you could be in danger. You may be causing yourself problems by trying to find out things you don't need to know.

Origin: The earliest printed reference to the origin of this proverb is attributed to British playwright Ben Jonson in his play, Every Man in His Humour (performed first by British playwright William Shakespeare): “...Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care will kill a cat, up-tails all, and a pox on the hangman..” In this instance, “care” was defined as “worry” or “sorrow”. Shakespeare used a similar quote in his play, Much Ado About Nothing: “What, courage man! What though care killed a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care”

Slovak Counterpart:

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

Meaning: In other words, there is not only one way to achieve a goal.

Origin: Slovak Counterpart:

Chicken

Don´t count your chickens before they hatch.

Meaning: Don't assume something good is going to happen before it happens. Don't assume you have something good before you actually get it.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Ešte vlka nezabili, už na jeho kožu pili. Nechváľ dňa pred večerom. Nekrič hop, kým nepreskočíš.

Curses, like chickens, come home roost.

Meaning: Once uttered, words cannot be taken back; one's ill words may come back to cause one trouble.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Kto druhému jamu kope, sám do nej padne. Čím kto hreší, tým trestáný býva.

Dog

He who lies down with dogs, rises with fleas.

Meaning: One who associates with people of bad character or habit are likely to pick up bad attitdudes and habits.

Origin: Slovak Counterpart:

Let the sleeping dogs lie.

Meaning: Don't stir up trouble when all is calm

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Nechať veci na pokoji. Spiaceho psa netreba budiť. Nepokúšať Pána Boha.

You can´t teach an old dog new tricks.

Meaning: People who have long been used to doing things in a particular way will not abandon their habits.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Starého koňa je zle učiť rajtovať. Starý strom nie je dobre presádzať.

A living dog is better than a dead lion. / A bird in one hand is worth two in the bush /

Meaning: It's better to have a small actual advantage than the chance of a greater one

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Lepší vrabec v hrsti ako holub na streche. Lepší vrabec v hrsti ako zajac v chrastí.

Barking dogs seldom bite.

Meaning: People who make big threats don't usually carry them out.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Pes, ktorý breše, nehryzie.

Every dog has his day.

Meaning: Everyone is successful during some period in their life.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Na každého sa raz šťastie usmeje. Aj na našej ulici bude raz sviatok.

Give a dog a bad name and hang him.

Meaning:Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Kto raz poctivosť stratí, nikto mu ju nenavráti. Ak má niekto zlé meno, všetko naňho zvaľujú.

Don´t keep a dog and bark yourself.

Meaning: Don't pay someone to do a task and then do it yourself

Origin: The earliest citation of this proverb is Brian Melbancke's ' Philotimus: „the warre betwixt nature and fortune“, 1583: "It is smal reason you should kepe a dog, and barke your selfe."

Slovak Counterpart:Fish

There are plenty more fish in the sea.

Meaning: There are many other people or possibilities, especially when one person or thing has been unsuitable or unsuccessful.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Bez jednej lastovičky bude ešte leto. Keď nebude jedno, bude druhé.

Fly

You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

Meaning: You can win people to your side more easily by gentle persuasion and flattery than by hostile confrontation.

Origin: Slovak Counterpart:

Goose

What is good for goose is good for the gander.

Meaning: What is good for a man is equally good for a woman; or, what a man can have or do, so can a woman have or do.

Origin: This comes from an earlier proverb, “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”

Slovak Counterpart:

Horse

Don´t change horses in the middle of the stream.

Meaning: Don't change your leader or your basic position when part-way through a campaign or a project.

Origin: From an 1864 speech by Abraham Lincoln, in reply to Delegation from the National Union League who were urging him to be their presidential candidate.„An old Dutch farmer, who remarked to a companion once that it was not best to swap horses when crossing streams“

Slovak Counterpart: Neprepriahaj vola, keď ide dolu kopcom. Nemeň názory v nevhodnej chvíli.

Don´t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Meaning: When given something don't be ungrateful.

Origin: By counting the teeth you can tell the age of a horse. Checking whether a present of a horse was old would be considered impolite.

Slovak Counterpart: Darovanému koňovi na zuby nepozeraj.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink.

Meaning: An animal, and by implication a person, will only do what it/he wants to do

Origin: This is one of the older proverbs in the language and dates back to at least 1546 when it was included in John Heywood's 'A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue': "A man maie well bring a horse to the water, But he can not make him drinke without he will."

Slovak Counterpart: Možete priviesť koňa k vode, ale nemožete ho donútiť, aby pil.

It is too late to close the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Meaning: It's too late to protect yourself after something bad has happened; take appropriate precautions

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Je neskoro plakať nad rozliatym mliekom.

It does no good to beat/flog a dead horse.

Meaning: To waste time doing something that has already been attempted.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: robiť zbytočnú robotu, plytvať energiou, starať sa o lanský sneh

Don´t put the cart before the horse.

Meaning: Begin at the proper place; do things in their proper order.

Origin:Slovak Counterpart:

Leopard

A leopard can not change its spots.

Meaning: One can't change one's essential nature.

Origin: The phrase about leopards is descended from the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" (Jer 13:23)

Slovak Counterpart:

Sheep

There is a black sheep in every flock / It is a small flock that has not a black sheep

Meaning: A worthless or disgraced member of a family, group.

Origin: The first record in print is from Charles Macklin's, 'The man of the world, a comedy', 1786: "O, ye villain! you - you - you are a black sheep; and I'll mark you." It isn't entirely clear why black sheep were selected to symbolize worthlessness. Possibly it is just the linking of black things with bad things, which is a long standing allusion in English texts - black mood, black looks etc. It may also be because shepherds disliked black sheep as their fleeces weren't suitable for dying and so were worth less than the fleeces of white sheep.

Slovak Counterpart: V každom stáde sa prašivá ovca nájde.

You may /might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.

Meaning: Something we say when we are going to be punished for something and so we decide to do something even worse because our punishment will not be any more severe.

Origin:

Slovak Counterpart: Keď už máš sedieť pre jahňa, prečo by si nevzal aj ovcu. Každý zomrie len raz.

Sow

You can not make a silk purse out of a sow´s ear.

Meaning: You can not make a good quality product using bad quality materials.

Origin: It's generally attributed to 18th century Irish writer Jonathon Swift. However, in the 16th century you can find others saying the same or a similar thing like "None can make goodly silk of a goat's fleece."

Slovak Counterpart: Nebude zo psa slanina, ani z vlka baranina.