a man's home is his castle »
(US) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security
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an Englishman's home is his castle »
(UK) a proverbial expression of personal privacy and security
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beggars can't be choosers »
(proverb) When resources are limited, one must accept even substandard gifts.
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best laid plans »
A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.
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cause a stir »
To cause controversy, or raise a disturbance.
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cock of the walk »
W:The Pogues - w:The Irish Rover.
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devil is in the details »
The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.
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divide and conquer »
A combination of political, military and economic strategies that aim to gain and maintain power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into chunks that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.(computing) Applied to various algorithms, such as quicksort, that solve a problem by splitting it recursively into smaller problems until all of the remaining problems are trivial.(as imperative, proverb) In order to rule securely, don't allow alliances of your enemies.
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flutter in the dovecote »
I further argued that the principal cause for the political deadlock that persisted for thirty years after the guns fell silent was Israeli intransigence rather than Arab intransigence. The appearance of the first wave of revisionist studies excited a great deal of interest and controversy in the media and more than a flutter in the academic dovecote. — Israel Confronts Its Past.
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hold with the hare and run with the hounds »
To remain neutral by attempting to placate two factions or both sides of a controversy.
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it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog »
(rare or obsolete, proverb) If a person is determined to punish someone, they will find a way to do so.1596
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keep oneself to oneself »
To be introverted; to stay away from others.
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little pitchers have big ears »
Small children often overhear more of what is said than adults realize or desire.1844, Charlotte M. Yonge, Abbeychurch, ch. 2:Seeing me listening to something she was saying to Mamma, she turned round upon me with that odious proverb, "Little pitchers have long ears."1939, "Bedtime Bedlam," Time, 17 Apr.:A caution to U. S. parents, but a joy to radio merchandising, is the dread truth that little pitchers have big ears.2002, Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ISBN 9780743455961, p. 185:I suppose he might say pushed or went woowoo, but took a shit is, I fear, very much in the ballpark (little pitchers have big ears, after all).
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measure twice and cut once »
(literally, carpentry) One should double-check one's measurements for accuracy before cutting a piece of wood; otherwise it may be necessary to cut again, wasting time and material.1872, "Dressmaking," Hall's Journal of Health, vol. 19, no. 12, p. 280:Look at Carpenters! . . . In old times it was a proverb "Measure twice, and cut once."(figuratively, by extension) Plan and prepare in a careful, thorough manner before taking action.2008, Hilary Johnson, "Mergers rattle bank relations," Financial Week, 9 Nov. (retrieved 9 Nov. 2008):Mr. Paz noted that since the onset of the credit crisis, eBay, like other companies, hasn
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old saw »
A cliché, saying, or overused expression; especially a proverb or maxim.
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proverbs come in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, ISBN 0155511130, page 325:Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.
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proverbs go in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.1932, Bertrand Russell,
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proverbs hunt in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.
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proverbs often come in pairs »
Alternative form of proverbs run in pairs.
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proverbs run in pairs »
Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposed message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."1863, Sir Richard Burton, Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains, vol. 1, Tinsley (London), p. 309:Moreover, all the world over, proverbs run in pairs, and pull both ways: for the most part one neutralizes, by contradiction, the other.
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rabble rouser »
Someone or something that tends to inspire mobs; something controversial or provocative.
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run something up the flagpole »
To float an idea that one suspects might be controversial.
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the more things change, the more they stay the same »
A proverb making the observation that turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.
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the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak »
(proverbs) For much as one wishes to achieve something, the frailties of the human body often make it impossible.
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the world is one's lobster »
(UK, humorous) intentional misrendering of the proverb "the world is one's oyster"
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