The document provides definitions and examples of common proverbs and sayings. It explains sayings like "practice makes perfect", "don't judge a book by its cover", "no man is an island", "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", "the pen is mightier than the sword", "two wrongs don't make a right", "there's no such thing as a free lunch", "never look a gift horse in the mouth", "you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs", and "beggars can't be choosers". Each proverb is defined and an example sentence is given to demonstrate its meaning.

1. Do you remember that time when our
volleyball girls went on stage to receive
their medals for winning second place
in the inter-school friendly match?
Why do you think they won?

2. Have you ever heard of this
saying?

3. What does it mean?
You have to
practise a skill a
lot to become good at
it.

4. Thus, when we use it in our writing,
we can say:
Don’t give up yet! Practice
makes perfect. You will
definitely do better if you practise
more.

5. Proverbs

6. What are proverbs?
A simple saying
Popularly known and repeated
Expresses a truth
 They are often metaphorical
We can use them in our writing as
long as they are related to the topic!

7. Don’t judge a book by its
cover
Meaning:
Don’t assume the worth or value of
something by its outward appearance
alone.
Sentence:
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Just because he looks scrawny, it
doesn’t mean he will not beat you in the
swim meet next month.
Day 1 20 Aug
2014

8. When the going gets tough,
the tough get going
Meaning:
Strong people don't give up when they
come across challenges. They just work
harder.
Sentence:
The football team was losing the game.
Thus, at half-time, the coach reminded
them that when the going gets tough,
the tough get going.
Day 1 20 Aug
2014

9. Don’t judge a book by its
cover
Don’t assume the worth or value of
something by its outward appearance
alone.
When the going gets tough,
the tough get going
Strong people don't give up when they
come across challenges. They just work
harder. Day 1 20 Aug
2014

10. No man is an island
Meaning:
You can't live completely independently.
Everyone needs help from other people.
Sentence:
Get along well with your classmates. No
man is an island. You will need to rely
on each other in time to come.
Day 2 22 Aug
2014

11. When in Rome, do as the
Romans do
Meaning:
Behave however the people around you
behave. Adapt yourself to the customs of
the places you visit.
Sentence:
Koreans do not pick up their rice bowls
because it is considered rude in their
culture. When in Rome, do as the
Romans do. When visiting Korea,
remember to follow suit to show respect
for their culture. Day 2 22 Aug
2014

12. No man is an island
Meaning: You can't live completely
independently. Everyone needs help
from other people.
When in Rome, do as the
Romans do
Meaning: Behave however the people
around you behave. Adapt yourself to
the customs of the places you visit.
Day 2 22 Aug
2014

13. The pen is mightier than
the sword
Meaning:
Trying to convince people with ideas and
words is more effective than trying to
force people to do what you want.
Sentence:
Reason is the only way to win the
people over from the tyrants. The pen is
mightier than the sword.
Day 3 22 Aug
2014

14. Two wrongs don’t make a
right
Meaning:
When someone has done something
bad to you, trying to get revenge will
only make things worse.
Sentence:
I really wanted to punch him after he
humiliated me in public, but I knew
that two wrongs don’t make a
right. Day 3 22 Aug
2014

15. The pen is mightier than the
sword
Meaning: Trying to convince people with
ideas and words is more effective than
trying to force people to do what you
want.
Two wrongs don’t make a right
Meaning: When someone has done
something bad to you, trying to get
revenge will only make things worse.
Day 3 22 Aug
2014

16. There’s no such thing as a
free lunch
Meaning:
Things that are offered for free always
have a hidden cost.
Sentence:
There’s no such thing as a free
lunch. The advertisement may say you
would receive an expensive camera for
free, but you’ll most likely have to pay
more for something else.
Day 4 25 Aug
2014

17. Never look a gift horse in the
mouth
Meaning:
Don’t be ungrateful when you receive a
gift.
Sentence:
This may not be the car of your
dreams, but it still works well. I
would be inclined not to look a gift
horse in the mouth if I were you. Day 4 25 Aug
2014

18. There’s no such thing as
a free lunch
Meaning: Things that are offered for
free always have a hidden cost.
Never look a gift horse in
the mouth
Meaning: Don’t be ungrateful when you
receive a gift.
Day 4 25 Aug
2014

19. You can’t make an omelette
without breaking a few eggs
Meaning:
It is difficult to achieve something
important without causing any
unpleasant effects.
Sentence:
Some people will definitely be unhappy with
the new arrangement in the company, but
you can’t make an omelette without
breaking a few eggs. This is the only way
to ensure that the company advances. Day 5 26 Aug
2014

20. Beggars can’t be choosers
Meaning:
If you are asking for a favour from
someone, you just have to take
whatever they give you.
Sentence:
I asked John if he could lend me his
bicycle and he sent me this old, rusty
one. Well, beggars can’t be choosers.
Day 5 26 Aug
2014

21. You can’t make an omelette
without breaking a few eggs
Meaning: It is difficult to achieve
something important without causing
any unpleasant effects.
Beggars can’t be choosers
Meaning: If you are asking for a favour
from someone, you just have to take
whatever they give you.
Day 5 26 Aug
2014

22. Too many cooks spoil the
broth
Meaning:
When there are too many people trying to
lead and give their opinions, it's confusing
and leads to bad results. Jobs and projects
should have one or two strong leaders.
Sentence:
There is no leader. Everyone is giving
commands, but nobody is following them.
Too many cooks spoil the broth. We
need one appointed leader that we can
listen to. Day 6 27 Aug
2014

23. Don’t bite the hand that feeds
you
Meaning:
Don’t be ungrateful to the person
who has helped you in some way.
Sentence:
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Your parents may not be perfect, but
without them, you wouldn’t have gotten
this far in life.
Day 6 27 Aug
2014

24. Too many cooks spoil the broth
Meaning: When there are too many
people trying to lead and giving their
opinions, it's confusing and leads to bad
results. Jobs and projects should have
one or two strong leaders.
Don’t bite the hand that feeds
you
Meaning: Don’t be ungrateful to the
person who has helped you in some
way. Day 6 27 Aug
2014

25. The grass is always greener
on the other side
Meaning:
People tend to want whatever they don't
have.
Sentence:
Sometimes, I think I would’ve been
happier if I had chosen to shift to
Australia earlier. Well, the grass is
always greener on the other side!
Day 7 28 Aug
2014

26. Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you
Meaning:
Don’t do mean things to people. Treat
them like how you want to be treated.
Sentence:
If you don’t want him to treat you in this
way, then you shouldn’t have done it to
him in the first place. Do unto others
as you would have them do unto you.
Day 7 28 Aug
2014

27. The grass is always
greener on the other side
Meaning: People tend to want whatever
they don't have.
Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you
Meaning: Don’t do mean things to
people. Treat them like how you want to
be treated.
Day 7 28 Aug
2014

28. One man’s trash is another
man’s treasure
Meaning:
Different people have different ideas
about what's valuable.
Sentence:
One man’s trash is another man’s
treasure. You may not appreciate the
painting on the wall, but there are other
people who do.
Day 8 29 Aug
2014

29. A leopard will never change its
spots
Meaning: It is something that you say
that means that a person’s character,
especially if it is bad, will not change,
even if they pretend they have.
Sentence:
I doubt this punishment has made Chris
learn his lesson. A leopard will never
change its spots.
Day 8 29 Aug
2014

30. One man’s trash is another
man’s treasure
Meaning: Different people have
different ideas about what's valuable.
A leopard will never change
its spots
Meaning: It is something that you say
that means that a person’s character,
especially if it is bad, will not change,
even if they pretend they have. Day 8 29 Aug
2014

31. Don’t count your chickens
before they hatch
Meaning:
You should not count on something before it
happens.
Sentence:
Don’t count your chickens before they
hatch. You have not received your
examination results yet; don’t assume that
you will definitely do well just because you
thought you knew all the answers.
Day 9 01 Sep
2014

32. A poor workman always
blames his tools
Meaning:
A person who has done something badly will
seek to lay the blame on their equipment
rather than admit their own lack of skill.
Sentence:
As the saying goes, a poor workman
always blames his tools. Instead of blaming
the oven for your burnt cake, perhaps you
should think about what you have done that
has gone wrong. Day 9 01 Sep
2014

33. Don’t count your chickens
before they hatch
Meaning: You should not count on
something before it happens.
A poor workman always
blames his tools
Meaning: A person who has done
something badly will seek to lay the
blame on their equipment rather than
admit their own lack of skill.
Day 9 01 Sep
2014

34. Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder
Meaning:
Different people have different ideas
about what's beautiful.
Sentence:
Nobody really understood why Pete
fancies June so much. I guess beauty
really lies in the eye of the beholder.
Day 10 02 Sep
2014

35. Actions speak louder than
words
Meaning:
Just saying that you'll do something
doesn't mean much. Doing it is harder
and more meaningful.
Sentence:
You keep saying that you will do your
share of the project. Please remember
that actions speak louder than words.
Day 10 02 Sep
2014

36. Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder
Meaning: Different people have
different ideas about what's beautiful.
Actions speak louder than
words
Meaning: Just saying that you'll do
something doesn't mean much. Doing it
is harder and more meaningful.
Day 10 02 Sep
2014