Unusual "wise" sayings?

beejee

I've always put a lot of stock in common sayings/perceived wisdom. There's a reason they've lasted through the ages.

It's interesting when you hear one that's new to you.

A little while back I was talking about the price of something, dismissing something like an extra 20 quid by buying in one place versus another.

Anyway, bloke tells me "it's not a lot of money, but it's lot when you don't have it!"

Now, whether this even counts as a "saying" or not, I think it's very clever.

It's easy to say 5 euro isn't a lot of money, but try buying something for a fiver less in a shop and you'll find out sharpish how important they think it is

"it's a lot when you don't have it". Nice! Makes you think twice about wasting money, even small amounts.

Any others that mightnt be well known?

Woke Hogan

When I was in the Soviet Union back in the early 1980s I heard that whistling indoors will bring you poverty. It's stuck with me ever since.

silverharp

A Russian one I heard recently, eat breakfast alone, eat lunch with a friend and give your dinner to your enemy

nthclare

There's strange things done in the midnight sun...

EmmetSpiceland

“One in the belly, is two in the toilet”, be careful what you eat, or drink for that matter.

cajonlardo

A man I knew used to say

"you can't teach experience"

Ive never heard anyone else saying that but it is one of the truest sayings I've ever heard.

jack of all

Wanton waste leads to woeful want

Yerman (A boring/ tedious person) would put hair on an egg.

jimgoose

Another old Kerry one: Anyone burning him for a fool would have wise ashes.

Woke Hogan

Woke Hogan wrote: »

When I was in the Soviet Union back in the early 1980s I heard that whistling indoors will bring you poverty. It's stuck with me ever since.

Strange ring of truth: I was working in call centre way back when (not my team's pc company) outsourcing team at low volume inbound call periods would start whistling like a choir.

Lowered the tone of the whole open plan office. Gateway are gone years as a pc manufacturer

sbsquarepants

silverharp wrote: »

A Russian one I heard recently, eat breakfast alone, eat lunch with a friend and give your dinner to your enemy

What is wise about that?

I don't want a well fed enemy while i go hungry!

cajonlardo

Woke Hogan wrote: »

When I was in the Soviet Union back in the early 1980s I heard that whistling indoors will bring you poverty. It's stuck with me ever since.

Have the Russians something against whistling?

I worked (in a skivvy capacity) for one our former supermarket moguls

When it became obvious that the iron curtain was going to fall and there were huge opportunities in Russia, he went to check the lie of the land.

One night he and his wife went to the ballet. Standing in a queue on the street he began whistling. Door right beside him opened and huge head appears right beside him and said in perfect English "stop whistling"
I asked him what did he do and he just said "I stopped whistling"

Immortal Starlight

A closed mouth catches no flies.

It's better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Stevieluvsye

Nothing in this game for two in a bed - Ghandi

subpar

The mug is always on the left
Pull away on the long docket

silverharp

sbsquarepants wrote: »

What is wise about that?

I don't want a well fed enemy while i go hungry!

don't overeat is the moral here

pawdee

An apple a day saves nine.

fineso.mom

'Handle it once'... In relation to tidying/sorting. Basically, if you pick something up, put it down where it's going to stay.

My grandfather was full of wise-sounding sayings.

On people who appear extrovert but are also deep thinkers... the brighter the light, the deeper the shadow.

When he'd be trying to be generous and spoil the grandkids... I'd rather give a gift with a warm hand than a cold one.

When something you couldn't control would happen... You can't control the direction of the wind, so lets just adjust the sails.

On greediness... People who give have everything, people who keep everything have nothing.

I know a lot of Russian sayings, but almost none of them make sense.

sbsquarepants

silverharp wrote: »

don't overeat is the moral here

Sounds like some shít Stalin pontificated about to take the mind of the millions of rumbling stomachs!

ednwireland

"you cant eat a view"

when someone comments on the view form my house, which was actually a comment by my OH uncle.

Arghus

May you live in interesting times.

Sky King

Graces7 wrote: »

Old man outside a Kerry pub was fond of these things.

"F.E.A.R.' False Evidence Appearing Real. "

Is this oul fella a lad by the name of Ian Brown by any chance?

Gwanoman

Think of death often...

stratowide

Break the boss before you break his orders.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Sky King wrote: »

Is this oul fella a lad by the name of Ian Brown by any chance?

He borrowed it from Neale Donald Walsch.

Mac-Chops

Heard a good one recently for checking something thoroughly:

If there's even one grain of sand in the Vaseline, it'll still be uncomfortable.

jippo nolan

Do unto others as they do unto you, but get the boot in first!

Hamsterchops

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

whiskeyman

silverharp wrote: »

A Russian one I heard recently, eat breakfast alone, eat lunch with a friend and give your dinner tea to your enemy

FYP

_Brian

beejee wrote: »

I've always put a lot of stock in common sayings/perceived wisdom. There's a reason they've lasted through the ages.

It's interesting when you hear one that's new to you.

A little while back I was talking about the price of something, dismissing something like an extra 20 quid by buying in one place versus another.

Anyway, bloke tells me "it's not a lot of money, but it's lot when you don't have it!"

Now, whether this even counts as a "saying" or not, I think it's very clever.

It's easy to say 5 euro isn't a lot of money, but try buying something for a fiver less in a shop and you'll find out sharpish how important they think it is

"it's a lot when you don't have it". Nice! Makes you think twice about wasting money, even small amounts.

Any others that mightnt be well known?

Yer man is like an asses tool, a big fella when he’s out

The Tetrarch

A supposed wise saying in racehorse breeding is "breed the best to the best and hope for the best".
It means send an expensive mare to an expensive stallion.

My understanding of it is you are encouraged to buy an expensive mare, send her to an expensive stallion, wait a year for the foal.
The winners here are the seller of the mare and the stallion owner.
The offspring of these matings are often useless.
You will only find out if the horse is any good three years after the mating.

jimgoose

The Tetrarch wrote: »

A supposed wise saying in racehorse breeding is "breed the best to the best and hope for the best".
It means send an expensive mare to an expensive stallion.

My understanding of it is you are encouraged to buy an expensive mare, send her to an expensive stallion, wait a year for the foal.
The winners here are the seller of the mare and the stallion owner.
The offspring of these matings are often useless.
You will only find out if the horse is any good three years after the mating.

They also say "If you've an ass, what'll you have only an ass foal".

YFlyer

Responsibility is never given its always taken.

Wanderer2010

Never regret getting old. Its a privilege denied to many..

dartboardio

Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Penny wise pound foolish

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Over 60? Never trust a fart and never pass a toilet.

the beer revolu

Aadhya Thankful Teflon wrote: »

Over 60? Never trust a fart and never pass a toilet.

You forgot about never wasting a hard-on.

James Brown

'Sometimes you must roar like a Lion so you can be the Lamb you are'.

hi5

Only for the fools there would be no wise men.

Never argue with an idiot, they'll drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

You will be a long time dead (to someone procrastinating).

iamstop

dartboardio wrote: »

Penny wise pound foolish

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.


Also:
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Do you live to work or do you work to live?

mrslancaster

Don't cut off your nose to spite your face

Mam of 4

It's the old dog for the hard road , and the young pup for the path ..

frag420

It’s better to be looking at it than be looking for it!

Gwynplaine

You wouldn't see his heart on a clean plate

LaFuton

frag420 wrote: »

It’s better to be looking at it than be looking for it!

thats what she said last night!

It's often that a man's mouth broke his nose.

odyssey06

• A lock is better than suspicion.
• He who gets a name for early rising can stay in bed until midday.
• Beauty does not boil the pot.
• The wearer best knows where the shoe pinches.
• Two shorten the road.

Your Face

Never kick a man in the gowl.

seenitall

An old Jewish one:

'Take what you want, and pay for it.'

I've lived by that, since even before I heard of it.

Ted_YNWA

It's better to be thought of as a fool, than to open your mouth & remove all doubt.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

The early worm gets caught.