Proverb

Explanation / Meaning
A Absence makes the heart grow Whenyouareawayfromsomeoneyoulove,
fonder.
youlovethemevenmore.
Accidents will happen.
Someunfortunateeventsmustbeacceptedas
inevitable.
Actions speak louder than
Whatapersonactuallydoesismoreimportant
words.
thatwhattheysaytheywilldo.
Advice is cheap.
Advice is least heeded when
most needed.
Advisers run no risks.

Whenaproblemisserious,peopleoftendonot
followtheadvicegiven.

All cats are grey in the dark.

Peopleareundistinguisheduntiltheyhavemade
aname.
All good things come to those Patiencebringsrewards.
who wait.
All that glitters is not gold.
Appearancescanbedeceptive.
All days are short to Industry Timegoesbyslowlywhenyouhavenothingto
and long to Idleness.
do.
All is fair in love and war
Thingsthataredoneinloveorwarcanoftenbe
excused.
All's well that ends well
Thereisasolutiontoeverythingeventhough
therearedoubts.
All that glitters is not gold.
Whatlookgoodontheoutsidemaynotbesoin
reality.
All things grow with time Astimegoesby,griefsubsideslittlebylittle.
except grief.
All things are difficult before

they are easy.

All work and no play makes
Everybodyneedsacertainamountof
Jack a dull boy.
relaxation.Itisnotgoodtoworkall
thetime.
An apple a day keeps the
doctor away.*

Eatinganappleeverydaycanhelptokeepyou
healthy.
Otherinterpretation:Asmallpreventive
treatmentwardsoffseriousproblems.
J
An empty purse frightens away Whenone'sfinancialsituationdeteriorates,
friends.
friendstendtodisappear.
An Englishman's home is his AnEnglishman'shomeisaplacewherehefeels
castle.
safe,enjoysprivacy
K
andcandoashewishes.
An idle brain is the devil's
workshop.
An onion a day keeps
everyone away.*

Whenyouworkyouavoidtemptation.

An ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.

Itiseasiertopreventsomethingfromhappening
thantorepairthedamageor
curethediseaselater.

Anger is the one thing made

better by delay.
Any time means no time.

Whenyouareangry,itisbestnottospeakor
actimmediately.
Ifthedateofaneventremainsvague,itwill
neverhappen.

April showers bring May

flowers.
A bad tree does not yield good
apples.
A bad workman blames his
tools.
A bird in hand is worth two in a
bush.
A broken friendship may be
soldered but will
never be sound.

Blamingthetoolsforbadworkmanshipisan
excuseforlackofskill.
It'sbettertokeepwhatyouhavethantorisk
losingitbysearchingforsomethingbetter.
Friendshipscanberebuiltafteradisputebutwill
neverbeasstrongasbefore.

A burden of one's own choice

is not felt.
A burnt child dreads the fire.

Somethingdifficultseemseasierwhenitisdone
voluntarily.
Abadexperiencewillmakepeoplestayaway
fromcertainthings.
A cat has nine lives.
1)Catscansurvivemanyaccidentsbecause
theylandontheirfeetwithoutinjury.
2)Threelives=3yearstoplay,3yearstostray,
3yearstostay.
A chain is no stronger than its Thestrengthofagroupdependsoneach
weakest link.
individualmember.
A change is as good as a rest.
A dry March, a wet April and a
cool May
fill barn and cellar and bring
much hay.
A fault confessed is half
redressed.
A flower blooms more than
once.
A fool and his money are soon
(easily) parted.
A fool at forty is a fool forever.
A friend in need is a friend
indeed.
A friend to all is a friend to
none.

Confessionisthebeginningofforgiveness.
Ifyoumissanoccasion,youcanavailofitat
anothertime.
Afoolishpersonusuallyspendsmoney
carelessly.
Ifapersonhasn'tmaturedbytheageof40,they
neverwill.
Someonewhohelpsyouwhenyouarein
trouble.
Someonewhoisafriendtoeveryonemakes
noneofthemfeelspecial.

A good example is the best

sermon.
A good beginning makes a
good end.
A good conscience is a soft
pillow.
A guilty conscience needs no
accuser.
A leopard cannot change its
spots.
A loaded wagon makes no
noise.
A loveless life is a living death.

Givinganexampleisbetterthangivingadvice.
Ifataskiscarefullyplanned,there'sabetter
chancethatitwillbedonewell.
Yousleepwellwhenyouhavenothingtofeel
guiltyabout.

Itisnotpossibleforabadorunpleasantperson
tobecomegoodorpleasant.
Reallywealthydon'ttalkaboutmoney.
N

A man can die but once.

A man is as old as he feels
himself to be.
A man is known by the
company he keeps.
A monkey in silk is a monkey
no less.
A new broom sweeps clean.
A rising tide lifts all boats.
A rolling stone gathers no
moss.

A rotten apple spoils the

barrel.
A smooth sea never made a
skilled mariner.
A stitch in time saves nine.

A stumble may prevent a fall.

A swallow does not make the
summer.
A tree is known by its fruit.
A watched pot never boils
A young idler, an old beggar.

Aperson'scharacterisjudgedbythetypeof
peoplewithwhomtheyspend
theirtime.
Nomatterhowsomeonedresses,it'sthesame
personunderneath.
Anewly-appointedpersonmakeschanges
energetically.
Describessomethingthatwillbehelpfultoall.
Ifapersonkeepsmovingfromplacetoplace,
theygainneitherfriendsnor
possessions.
Anotherinterpretationisthat,bymovingoften,
oneavoidsbeingtieddown!
Adishonestorimmoralpersoncanhaveabad
influenceonagroup.
Overcomingadversityleadstocompetence.
It'sbettertodealwithaproblematanearly
stage,topreventitfromgetting
worse.
Correctingasmallmistakemayhelpyouto
avoidmakingabiggerone.
Onegoodeventdoesnotmeanthateverything
isalright.
Amanisjudgedbyhisactions.
Ifyouwaitanxiouslyforsomething,itseemsto
takealongtime.
Ifyoudon'twork,youwon'thaveanymoney
whenyou'reold.

After dinner rest a while, after

supper walk a mile.
As you sow, so shall you reap

B Bad news travels fast.

Beauty is only skin deep.
Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder.
Beauty is the wisdom of
women. Wisdom is the
beauty of men.
Be swift to hear, slow to
speak.
Better be alone than in bad
company.
Better flatter a fool than fight
him.
Better the devil you know than
the devil you don't
know
Better late than never.

Youhavetoaccepttheconsequencesofyour
actions.
Peopletendtocirculatebadnews(accidents,
illnessetc.)veryquickly.
Aperson'scharacterismoreimportantthantheir
appearance.
Differentpeoplehavedifferenttastes.

P
Listencarefullybeforespeaking.
Becarefulinthechoiceofthepeopleyou
associatewith.
It'sbettertoavoiddisputeswithstupidpeople.
It'sbettertodealwithsomebodydifficultbut
familiar,thanchangeandriskdealing
withsomebodyworse.
It'sbettertodosomething,evenifit'slate,than
notdoitatall.

Better lose the saddle than the It'sbettertostopandacceptasmallloss,rather

horse.
thancontinueandrisklosing
everything.
Better safe than sorry

It'sbettertobetoocarefulthantobecareless
andregretitlater.
Better untaught than ill-taught It'sbetternottobetaughtatallthantobetaught
badly.
Birds of a feather flock
Peopleofthesamesortareusuallyfound
together.
together.
Blood is thicker than water
R
Familyrelationshipsarestrongerthan
relationshipswithotherpeople.
Blood will out.
Aperson'sbackgroundoreducationwill
eventuallyshow.
C Charity begins at home.
Children and fools tell the
truth.
Cleanliness is next to
godliness.
Clear moon, frost soon.

Aperson'sfirstdutyistohelpandcareforhis
ownfamily.

Acleanbodyisjustasimportantasapuresoul.
Iftheatmosphereisclear,frostmayform.

Clothes don't make the man.

Appearancescanbedeceiving.
Constant occupation prevents Whenyouworkyouavoidtemptation.
temptation.

D Dead men tell no tales

Diamond cuts diamond.

Diligence is the mother of
good fortune.
Discretion is the better part of
valour
Diseases of the soul are more
dangerous than
those of the body.
Distance makes the heart grow
fonder.
Dogs of the same street bark
alike.
Don't bark if you can't bite.

Adeadpersoncannotcausedifficultiesby
revealingsomethingthatitwouldbepreferableto
conceal.
Referstotwopeopleequallymatchedinwitor
cunning.
Hardworkbringsrewards.
Itisuselesstotakeunnecessaryrisks.

Whenyouareseparatedfromthepersonyou
love,yourfeelingsareevenstronger.
Peoplefromthesamebackgroundhavethe
samebehaviour.
Don'tcomplainifyoucan'tenforceyourpointof
view.
Don't count your chickens
Youmustnotbetooconfidentthatsomething
before they're hatched.
willbesuccessful.
Don't dig your grave with your Don'tdosomethingyourselfwhichcausesyour
own knife and fork.
owndownfall.
Don't judge a book by its
Don'tjudgebyappearances.
cover.

E Early to bed and early to rise

makes a man healthy,
wealthy and wise.
Easier said than done.
Elbow grease is the best
polish.
Empty vessels make the most
noise.
Every ass likes to hear himself
bray.
Every cloud has a silver lining
Every man for himself.
Every man has his price.
Every man is the architect of
his own fortune.

Whatissuggestedsoundseasybutitismore
difficulttoactuallydoit.
Hardworkgivesthebestresults.
Theleastintelligentpeopleareoftenthemost
talkativeornoisy.
Peopleliketolistentothemselvestalking.
Thereisapositiveorhopefulsidetoevery
unpleasantsituation.
Youmustthinkofyourowninterestsbeforethe
interestsofothers.
Everyone'sloyaltycanbeboughtforaprice.
Lifeiswhatyoumakeit.

Every path has its puddle.

Progressisrarelywithoutdifficulty.

Every why has a wherefore.

Thereisanexplanationforeverything.

Everything in the garden is

rosy.
Experience is the father of
wisdom.

Everythingissatisfactory.

Facts speak louder than

words.

Peopleshowwhattheyarereallylikebywhat
theydo,ratherthanbywhat
theysay.

Experienceandknowledgeresultinbetter
judgement.

Failure teaches success.

False friends are worse than
open enemies.
Familiarity breeds contempt

Knowingsomebodyverywellmayleadtoalack
ofrespectforthem.
Fine words butter no parsnips. Noamountoftalkingcanreplaceaction.
First come, first served.
Fool me once, shame on you;

Thefirstpersoninthelinewillbeattendedto
first.
Oneshouldlearnfromone'smistakes.

fool me twice, shame on me.

Fools rush in where angels
fear to tread
Friendship is love with
understanding.

Inexperiencedpeopleactinsituationsthatmore
intelligentpeoplewouldavoid

Gardens are not made by

sitting in the shade.
Give someone an inch and
they will take a mile.
Give someone enough rope
and they will hang
themselves.
God helps those who help
themselves.
Good and quickly seldom
meet.
Good management is better
than good income.
Great minds think alike.
Great oaks grow from little
acorns.
Grief divided is made lighter

Nothingisachievedwithouteffort.

U
G

Givesomeonealittleandtheywillwantmore-
somepeopleareneversatisfied.
Givesomeoneenoughtimeandfreedomand
theywillgetintotrouble.

W
Awell-donejobtakestime.

Largesuccessfuloperationscanbegininasmall
way.

H Half a loaf is better than none. Youshouldbegratefulforsomething,evenifit's

notasmuchasyouwanted.
Hard words break no bones.
Haste makes waste.
Ifsomethingisdonetooquickly,itmaybedone
carelesslyandneedtoberedone.
Hatred is a blind as love.
Apersonwhofeelshatreddoesnotseeany
qualitiesinthepersonhe/shehates.
He has enough who is content.
He who hesitates is lost.

Ifyoudelayyourdecisiontoolong,youmay
missagoodopportunity.
He who is everywhere is
It'snotgoodtodotoomanythingsatthesame
nowhere.
time.
He who knows nothing, doubts Knowledgeleadsustomakechoices.
nothing.
He who pays the piper calls
Thepersonwhoprovidesthemoneyfor
the tune.
somethingshouldcontrolhowitisspent
He who plays with fire gets
Ifyoubehaveinariskyway,youarelikelyto
burnt.
haveproblems.
He who wills the end wills the Ifyouaredeterminedtodosomethingyouwill
means.
findaway.
He laughs best who laughs
Don'texpressyourjoy,oryourtriumph,too
last.
soon!
Health is better than wealth.
Home is where the heart is.

Youcallhometheplacewherethepeopleyou
loveare.

Honesty is the best policy.

Honey catches more flies than Youcanobtainmorecooperationfromothersby
vinegar.
beingnice.
However long the night, the
Badthingsdon'tlastforever.
dawn will break

Proverb
In times of prosperity friends
are plentiful.
If a camel gets his nose in a
tent, his body will
follow.

Explanation / Meaning
Youhavemanyfriendswhenyouhaveno
difficulties.
Ifyouletsomethingintrusiveenteryourlife,your
lifewillbecomedifficult.

If in February there be no rain,

'tis neither good
for hay nor grain.
If you are patient in one
moment of anger,
you will avoid 100 days of
sorrow.
If you chase two rabbits, you
will not catch either
one.
If you want a friend, be a
friend.
If wishes were horses, then
beggars would ride.
Ignorance is bliss.
In for a penny, in for a pound.

Ifyoutrytodotwothingsatthesametime,you
won'tsucceedindoingeitherofthem.

Wishingaloneisofnouse;youmustactas
well.
Possibleinterpretation:Whatyoudonotknow
causesnoworryorsadness.
Ifyoustartsomething,it'sbettertospendthe
timeormoneynecessarytocompleteit.

In the land of the blind, the

one-eyed man is king.
It never rains but it pours.

Misfortunesusuallycomeinlargenumbers.

It is always darkest before the

dawn
It's no use crying over spilt
milk.
It takes all sorts to make a
world.

Themostdifficulttimeisjustbeforeaproblemis
solved.
Don'texpressregretforsomethingthathas
happenedandcannotberemedied.
Peoplevaryincharacterandabilities,andthisis
agoodthing.

Justice delayed is justice

denied.

Ifthelawisappliedtoolate,thereisnojustice.

Knowledge in youth is wisdom

in age.
Knowledge is power.
Kill one to warn a hundred.

Warnmanybypunishingafew.

Kill the goose that lays the

golden egg.
Kindness begets kindness.

Destroysomethingthatwouldbeasourceof
wealthorsuccess.
Ifyouarekindtopeople,theywillbekindtoyou.

Laughter is the best medicine.

Learn to walk before you run.

Don'trushintodoingsomethinguntilyouknow
howtodoit.
Learning is a treasure that will Educationissomethingyoukeepforever.
follow its owner
everywhere.
Least said soonest mended.
Themorediscreetyouare,thelessdamage
youcause.
Let bygones be bygones.
Let'sforgiveandforgetpastquarrels.
Liars need good memories.
Lightning never strikes in the
same place twice
Like father, like son.
Look before you leap.
Loose lips sink ships.

Anunusualeventisnotlikelytooccuragainin
exactlythesamecircumstances.
Ason'scharactercanbeexpectedtoresemble
hisfather's.
Considerpossibleconsequencesbeforetaking
action.
Disclosingimportantinformation(totheenemy
oracompetitor)couldresultinlarge
losses.

Losers weepers, finders

keepers.
Love is blind.

Ifyoulosesomethingyouweep,ifyoufind
somethingyoukeepit.
Apersoninlovedoesnotseethefaultsofthe
personhe/sheloves.

Make a silk purse out of a

sow's ear
Man is the head of the family;

Managetoproducesomethinggoodusingpoor
material.

woman is the neck that turns

the head.
Man proposes, God disposes.

OurdestinydependsonGod'swill.

Manners make the man.

Possibly:aperson'smannersshowtheirorigins.

Many hands make light work.

Sharingworkmakesworkeasier.

Marry in haste, repent at

leisure.
Memory is the treasure of the
mind.

Ifyougetmarriedtooquickly,youmayspendall
yourliferegrettingit.

Men make houses, women

make homes.
Might as well be hanged for a
sheep as (for) a lamb
Money begets money.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
Money is the root of all evil.

Necessity is the mother of

invention.
Need teaches a plan.
Never put off till tomorrow
what can be done today
Never say die.
Nobody is perfect.
No man can serve two
masters.
No man is an island.

Ifthepenaltyisgoingtobethesame,youmight
aswellcommitthegreateroffence.
Ifyouhavemoneyyoucanmakemoremoney.
Youshouldn'twastemoneybecauseitisnot
plentiful.
Moneyisthemaincauseofwrongdoingand
problems.

Theneedforsomethingforcespeopletofinda
wayofobtainingit.
Necessitywillmakeyoufindasolution.
Don'tpostponesomethingyoucando
now.
Nevergiveup.

It'simpossibletofollowinstructionsfromtwo
differentsources.
Weallneedotherpeople.

No news is good news.

Ifthenewswasbad,wewouldhearofit.Since
wehaveheardnothing,
wecanassumethatalliswell.

No smoke without fire.

No wind, no waves.

Therecouldbesometruthintherumour...
Similarto:'nosmokewithoutfire'.

Nothing ventured, nothing

gained.

Youcannotexpecttoachieveanythingifyou
don'ttakerisks.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Afteranunpleasantexperience,peopleare
carefultoavoidsomethingsimilar.

One father is more than a

hundred schoolmasters.
One good turn deserves
another.
One of these days is none of
these days.
One today is worth two
tomorrow.
One man's meat is another
man's poison
One man's trash is another
man's treasure.

Youshouldbehelpfultosomeonewhohelps
you.
'Oneofthesedays'remainsvague.
Whatyouhavetodayisbetterthanwhatis
promisedorhopedfor.
Peopledon'talwayslikethesamethings.
Whatisuselesstoonepersoncouldbevaluable
toanother.

One swallow doesn't make a

summer.
Only real friends will tell you
when your face is
dirty.
Opportunity seldom knocks
twice.
Out of the mouths of babes
and sucklings
Out of sight, out of mind.

Asinglesatisfactoryeventdoesnotmeanthat
alltheotherswillbeasgood.
Onlyarealfriendwilltellyouthetruth.

Penny wise, pound foolish.

Referstoapersonwhoiscarefulabout
spendingsmallamountsofmoney,but
notcarefulaboutspendinglargeamountsof
money.
Oneshouldnotcriticizeothersforfaultssimilar
toone'sown.

People who live in glass

houses should not throw
stones.
Practice makes perfect.
Practise what you preach
Prevention is better than cure

Don'tmissopportunitiesthatcomealong.
Childrenoftenspeakwisely.
Wetendtoforgetpeoplewhoareabsent.

Doingsomethingrepeatedlyistheonlywayto
becomegoodatit.
Doyourselfwhatyouadviseotherstodo.
Itiseasiertopreventsomethingfromhappening
thantorepairthedamageorcurethe
diseaselater.

Pride comes before a fall.

Don'tbetooself-confidentorproud;something
mayhappentomakeyoulookfoolish.
Procrastination is the thief of Delayinganactionfortoolongisawasteof
time
time.
Put all your eggs in one basket Riskeverythingbyrelyingononeplan(by
puttingallone'smoneyinonebusiness).

Revenge is sweet.

Thereissatisfactioninreturninganinjury.

Rome was not built in a day.

Ittakesalongtimetodoajobproperly.You
shouldnotexpecttodoitquickly.

Save me from my friends.

Friendscanbemoredangerousthanenemies.

Saying is one thing, doing is

another.
Short reckonings make long
friends.
Sickness in the body brings
sadness to the mind.

Peopledon'talwaysdowhattheyannounce.
Debtspaidquicklyencouragefriendship.

Snug as a bug in a rug.

Spare the rod and spoil the
child
Sticks and stones will break
my bones but names
will never hurt me

Feelingverycomfortable.
Ifyoudon'tpunishachildwhenhedoeswrong,
youwillspoilhischaracter.
Physicalattacksmayharmme,butcruelwords
willnot.

Still waters run deep.

A stitch in time saves nine

Aquietpersoncanhavemuchknowledgeor
wisdom.
It'sbettertodealwithaprobleminitsearly
stages,becauseifyoudon't,itwillget
worse.

Stolen fruit is the sweetest.

Whatisforbiddenisthemosttempting.

Tall oaks grow from little

acorns.
The apple doesn't fall far from
the tree.
The best advice is found on
the pillow.
The devil looks after his own.

Greatthingsmaycomefromsmallbeginnings.

The devil makes work for idle

hands
The die is cast.

Peoplewhohavenowork,orareidle,oftenget
intoormaketrouble.
Adecisionhasbeenmadeandit'simpossibleto
changeit.
Ifyouwanttodosomethingsuccessfully,you
shoulddoitassoonasyoucan.
Wrongorunfairmethodsmaybeusedifthe
resultoftheactionisgood.
Themostdifficultthingistobegin.
Apersonmakesmoreprogressiftheydothings
lessquickly.

The early bird catches the

worm.
The end justifies the means.
The first step is the hardest.
The more haste, the less
speed.
The more you have, the more
you want.
The mouse that has but one
hole is quickly taken.
The pen is mightier than the
sword
The proof of the pudding is in
the eating.
The road to hell is paved with
good intentions.
The tongue wounds more than
a lance.
The truth is in the wine.

Childrenresembletheirparents.
Afteragoodnight'ssleepwemayfindan
answertoourproblem.
Successcomestothosewhodeserveitleast.

Ifyoudependonjustonething,anditfailsyou,
youwillhavenoalternatives.
Wordsandcommunicationhavegreatereffect
thanwarandfighting.
Therealvalueofsomethingcanbejudgedonly
afterithasbeentriedortested.
It'snotenoughtointendtodosomething,you
mustactuallydoit.
Insultscanbemorehurtfulthanphysicalinjuries.
Peoplespeakmorefreelyundertheinfluenceof
alcohol.

The way to a man's heart is

through his stomach.
The wish is father to the
thought.
There is a black sheep in every
flock.
There is no fool like an old
fool.
There is safety in numbers

Feedamanwellandhewillloveyou.
Youthinkthatsomethingistruebecauseyou
wantittobeso.
Thereisalwaysonewhodoesn'tbehaveor
performliketheothers.
Aolderpersonisexpectedtobehavemore
sensibly.
Beinginacrowdmakesyoufeelmoreconfident.

Time and tide wait for no man. Delayingadecisionwillnotpreventeventsfrom

takingplace.
Time has wings.
Timegoesbyquickly.
Time is money.
Timeisvaluableandshouldnotbewasted.
To err is human, to forgive
Itishumannaturetomakemistakes,therefore
divine
oneshouldforgive.
Too many cooks spoil the
Iftoomanypeopleareinvolvedinsomething,it
broth.
willnotbedoneproperly.
(Humoristicversionofabove:
Toomanyclicksspoilthebrowse!)
Trust not a horse's heel nor a
dog's tooth.
Truth is stranger than fiction.

Eventsinreallifearesometimesstrangerthan
infiction.
Two wrongs don't make a right Itiswrongtoharmsomeonebecausetheyhave
harmedyou.

Union is strength.

Variety is the spice of life.

Virtue is its own reward.

Doingalotofdifferentthingsmakeslifemore
interesting.
Youshouldnotexpectpraiseforactingina
correctormoralway.

Walls have ears.

Becareful.Peoplecouldbelistening.

Waste not, want not.

Ifyouneverwasteanything,youwillhaveit
whenyouneedit.
Ifapersondoesn'tknowaboutsomething,it
cannothurtthem.

What the eye doesn't see, the

heart doesn't grieve
over.
What a man says drunk, he
thinks sober.
What soberness conceals,
drunkenness reveals.

Peoplespeakmorefreelyundertheinfluenceof
alcohol.
Peoplearelessdiscreetundertheinfluenceof
alcohol.

When the cat's away, the mice

play.
When in Rome, do as the
Romans do.

Peoplemisbehavewhentheirboss,orthe
personinauthority,isabsent.
Youshouldadoptthecustomsofthepeopleor
countryyouarevisiting,
andbehaveinthesameway.

When poverty come in the

door, love goes out the
window.
Where there's life there's hope.
Where there's a will, there's a
way.
Who makes himself a sheep
will be eaten by the wolves.
Wisdom is better than
strength.
Wonders will never cease!

Apersonwithdeterminationwillfindawayof
doingsomething.
Possibleinterpretation:aneasilyinfluenced
personcanbemislead.

Expressessurpriseatanunexpectedpleasure
orevent(ironic).
Worry often gives a small thing Worryingoversmalldetailscanmakethem
a big shadow.
seemworse.

You are what you eat.

You are never too old to learn.
You never know what you can
do until you try.
You scratch my back and I'll
scratch yours.

YouhelpmeandI'llhelpyou.

Phrasal
Verb
A abide by

Meaning
respectorobey.(thelaw,adecision,arule)

account for
add up
agree with
allow for

explain,giveareason
makesense,seemreasonable
havethesameopinionassomebodyelse.
takeintoconsideration,
includeinacalculation
answer back replyrudely
apply for
makeaformalrequestforsomething
(job,permit,loanetc.)
avail
takeadvantageofsomething(anopportunity)
(oneself) of
B back away
back down

movebackwards,infearordislike
withdraw,concededefeat

back up

1)givesupportorencouragement

black out
block off
blow up
boil down to
break down
break into
break out
break out of
break up
bring up
brush up on
bump into
burn out
butt in (on
sthg)
C call back
call off
call on/upon
sby
calm down
carry on
carry out

2)makeacopyof(file,program,etc.)
faint,loseconsciousness
Separateusingabarrier.
1)explode;
2)bedestroyedbyanexplosion
besummarizedas
1)gooutoforder,ceasetofunction
2)losecontrolofone'semotions
enterbyforce
startsuddenly
escapefromaplacebyforce
cometoanend(marriage,relationship)
raise(achild)
improve,refreshone'sknowledgeof
something
meetbyaccidentorunexpectedly
1)stop(something)working
2)becomeexhaustedfromover-working
interruptimpolitely

returnaphonecall
cancel
formallyinviteorrequest
becomemorerelaxed,lessangryorupset
continue
1)dosomethingasspecified
(aplan,anorder,athreat)

carry out

check in

2)performorconduct(test,experiment)
registeratahotelorairport

check out

1)payone'sbillandleave(ahotel)

clam up
clamp down
on
close down

2)investigate
refusetospeak
actstrictlytopreventsomething
stopoperating(company,restaurant,cinema).

come across 1)findbychance

2)appear,seem,makeanimpression
come
forward
come up
against
conk out
count on
cross out
cut down on
cut out

D deal with
die down
do without
drag on
draw up
dress up
drop in
drop off
drop out

E ease off
even out

presentoneself
befacedwithoropposedby
1)stopworking
2)stoporfallasleep(fromexhaustion)
relyordependon(forhelp)
removebydrawingalinethrough
reduceinnumberorsize
1)removeusingscissors
2)stopdoingsomething
handle,takecareof(problem,situation)
calmdown,becomelessstrong
managewithout
lastlongerthanexpected
write(contract,agreement,document)
1)wearelegantclothes
2)disguiseoneself
visit,usuallyonthewaysomewhere
1)deliversomeoneorsomething
2)fallasleep
leaveschoolwithoutfinishing

reduce,becomelesssevereorslowdown
(pain,traffic,work)
1)eliminatedifferencesofopinion.
2)becomelevelorregular

F fall through
figure out

fail;doesn'thappen
understand,findtheanswer

fill out

complete(aform/anapplication)

find out

discoverorobtaininformation

focus on

concentrateonsomething

figure out

understand;findasolution

G get at
get away
get by
get in
get into
(+noun)
get off
get on
get on with
(something)
get on (well)
with
(somebody)
get out
get out of
(+noun)
get out of
get over
get rid of
get together
get up
give up
go through
grow up

H hand in
hand out
hang out
hang up
hit at
hit back
hit on/upon
hold on
hurry up
I iron out

imply
escape
managetocopeortosurvive
enter
enter
1)leave(bus,train,plane)
2)remove
board(bus,train,plane)
continuetodo;makeprogress
haveagoodrelationshipwith

leave
leave
avoiddoingsomething
recoverfrom(illness,disappointment)
eliminate
meeteachother
rise,leavebed
stopdoingsomething
experience
spendone'schildhood;develop;becomean
adult
submit(report,homework)
distribute
spendtimeinaparticularplace,
orwithagroupoffriends
endaphoneconversation
aimablowat
retaliate;replytoanattack
findunexpectedlyorbyinspiration
-wait
-griptightly
bequick,actspeedily
resolvebydiscussion,eliminatedifferences

J join in
join up

jot down

participate
-engagein,becomeamemberof
-meetandunitewith
takequicknotes

K keep on
continuedoingsomething
keep up with stayatthesamelevelassomeoneor
something
kick off
begin,start
L leave out
let down
look after
look ahead
look down on
look on
look for
look forward
to
look up to

M make fun of

omit,notmention
disappoint
takecareof
thinkofthefuture
considerasinferior
beaspectatoratanevent
trytofindsomething
awaitoranticipatewithpleasure
admire

laughat/makejokesabout

make up

invent(excuse,story)

mix up

mistakeonethingorpersonforanother

move in
move out

arriveinanewhomeoroffice
leaveyourhome/officeforanotherone.

N nod off
note down

fallasleep
writesomething

O opt out

leaveasystemordecidenottoparticipate

own up

P pass away
pass out
pay back
put off
put on
put out
put up
pick up

admitorconfesssomething

die
faint
reimburse
postpone,arrangealaterdate
turnon,switchon
extinguish
accommodate,givesomebodyabed
collectsomebody

point out
R rely on
rule out
run away
run into
run out of
S set off
set up
shop around
show off
show up
shut up
(impolite)
sit down
stick up for

indicate/directattentiontosomething
counton,dependon,trust
eliminate
escapefromaplaceorsuddenlyleave
meetbyaccidentorunexpectedly(also:bump
into)
havenomoreofsomething.
startajourney;
startabusiness
compareprices
bragorwanttobeadmired
appear/arrive
besilent,stoptalking

takeaseat
defend

T take after
take care of
take off
take on
tell off
think over
try on
turn down

resemble,inappearanceorcharacter
lookafter
leavetheground
hireorengagestaff
reprimand/criticizeseverely
consider
wearsomethingtoseeifitsuitsorfits
refuse

U use up

finishaproduct(sothatthere'snoneleft)

V vouch for

expressconfidencein,orguarantee
something

W watch out
wear out

becareful
1)becomeunusable
2)becomeverytired
1)dophysicalexercise
2)findasolutionorcalculatesomething
clean(board,table).

work out
wipe off

Example
Ifyouwanttostayatthisschool,youmustabide bytherules.
Ihopeyoucanaccount forthemoneyyouspent!
Herstoryjustdoesn'tadd up.
Iagree withyou.Ithinkshedeservestheawardtoo.
You'dbetterleaveearlytoallow fortrafficjams.
Don'tanswer backyourmother!
Heapplied forthejobhesawadvertisedinthenewspaper.
Whenthecompanyisprivatized,youshouldavail yourself of
theopportunityandbuysomeshares.
Whenhesawthedog,hebacked away.
Localauthoritiesbacked downontheirplanstodemolishthe
building.
1)IfItellthebosswe'vegottoomuchwork,willyoubackmeup?
2)Itisrecommendedtoback upallfilesinasecurelocation.
Whenhefelloffthehorseheblacked out.
Theareawasblocked off duringthedemonstration.
1)Theterroristssaidthebombwouldblow upat9o'clock.
2)Thecarblew upbutluckilytherewasnobodyinit.
Theproblemboils down toalackofmoney.
1)John'scarbroke downsohehadtotakethebus.
2)Theparentsbroke downwhentheyheardthebadnews.
Burglarsbroke intothehousearoundmidnight.
Riotingbroke outasaresultofthestrike.
Threeprisonersbroke outofjail.
Afterhermarriagebroke up,EmmawenttoliveinLondon.
Shestoppedworkinginordertobring upherchildren.
Maryhadtobrush up onherSpanishbeforegoingtoSouth
America.
Pedrobumped intohisEnglishteacheratthesupermarket.
1)Thefusehasburnt out.
2)Tomwillburnhimselfout ifhedoesn'tslowdown.
It'srudetobutt inonaconversationlikethat!

I'llcall youbackassoonaspossible.
Themeetingwascalled offbecauseofthestrike.
Inowcall uponthePresidenttoaddresstheassembly.
Hewasangryatfirstbutheeventuallycalmed down.
Hecarried ongardeninginspiteoftherain.
1)Theplanwascarried outtoperfection.
2)Testsarecarried outtodeterminetheefficiencyofanewdrug.

Forsecurityreasonsyouhavetocheck intwohoursbeforeyour
flight.
1)IsMr.Blairstillatthehotel?No,hechecked outthismorning.
2)Idon'tknowiftheaddressisstillvalid.I'llcheckitout.
Whentheteacherarrivedsheclammed up.
Thegovernmenthasdecidedtoclamp down onsmokinginpublic
places.
Whenthefactoryclosed down,theemployeeslosttheirjobs.
1)Juliecame acrosssomephotographsofhergrandparentsinthe
attic.
2)Thecandidatecame acrossasadynamicpersonduringthe
interview.
Thepolicehaveaskedanywitnessestocome forward.
Theprojectcame up againstalotofcriticism.
1)Thecarconked outonthemotorway.
2)Hewassoexhausted,heconked outinfrontoftheTV.
I'mcounting onthetaxidrivertofindthetheatre.
Insomeexercises,youareaskedtocross outtheincorrectword.
Thedoctortoldhimtocut down on cigarettes.
1)Shecut outapictureinamagazine.
2)I'mgoingtocut outeatingbetweenmeals.
Themanagerisgoodatdealing withdifficultcustomers.
Whentheapplausedied down,shestartedtosing.
Theshopsareclosedsowe'llhavetodo withoutsugar.
Weexpectedashortspeechbutitdragged onandon!
Anagreementwasdrawn upandsignedbythetwoparties.
1)Dopeopledress uptogototheoperainyourcountry?
2)Childrenlovetodress upatHalloween.
Isometimesdrop intoseemygrandparentsonmywayhomefrom
school.
1)I'lldropyouoff atthebusstopifyoulike.
2)Granddadoftendrops off infrontoftheTV.
Shedecidedtogotoartschoolthendropped outafterthefirst
term.
AfterChristmastheworkloadgenerallyeases off.
1)Afteralongdiscussiontheymanagedtoeven outtheir
differences.
2)Theroadwasevened outtomakeitsafer.
Ourplannedboattripfell throughbecauseofthestorm.
I'mtryingtofigure outhowtoassemblethebookshelves.

Pleasefill out theenclosedformandreturnitassoonaspossible.

I'mgoingtocallthecinematofind outwhattimethefilmstarts.
Theadvertisingcampaignwillfocus onthequalityoftheproduct.
We'llhavetofigure outawaytodeliverthegoodsfaster.
Whatexactlyareyoutryingto get at?
Therobbersgot awayinablackcar.
It'sdifficulttoget byonalowsalary.
Howdidtheburglarget in?
Howdidtheburglarget intothehouse?
1)Youshouldget offthebusatTrafalgarSquare.
2)Shecan'tgetthestainoffhersweater.
Youcanpaywhenyouget onthebus.
Bequietandget on withyourhomework.
Iget onverywellwith mycolleagues.

Howdidheget out?
Howdidheget out ofthehouse?
Somehusbandsmanagetoget out of doinganyhousework.
Mygrandmotherhadpneumoniabutshegot overit.
It'sdifficulttoget rid of oldhabits.
Let's get togetherforlunchonday.
Iusuallyget up at7o'clock.
Sarahgave upsmoking5yearsago.
Petewent throughalotofpainaftertheaccident.
Hegrew upinasmallvillageinthemountains.

Allapplicationformsmustbehanded inbeforetheendofthe
month.
Sampleswillbehanded outattheendofthedemonstration.
Wheredoeshehang outthesedays?
Whodoeshehang outwith?
"Don'thang up.Ihaven'tfinishedyet."
Hehit atthewaspwiththenewspaper.
Whenhewasattackedbytheothers,theboyhit back.
Shehit uponanideaforhernewcollection.
-'Hold onplease.I'llputyouthroughtoMr.Brown."
-Sheheld ontotherailingasshecrossedthebridge.
Hurry up!We'llmissthebus.
Themeetingtomorrowwillbeanopportunityto iron outdifficulties.

Shewastooshytojoin inthegame.
-JohnwasintheArmyandTomjoined upassoonasheleft
school.
-Thetwogroupsoftouristsjoined upatthehotel.
Ijotted downtheaddresswhilewatchingtheprogrammeonTV.

Ittoldhimtobequietbuthekept onmakingnoise.
Billwalkssofastit'sdifficultto keep upwithhim.
Thefootballmatchkicked offat3o'clock.
Thechild'snamewasleft outofthereport.
Youpromisedtocometotheparty,sodon't letmedown!
Ababysitterlooks afterthechildrenwhentheygoout.
It'stimetoforgetthepastandlook ahead.
Hetendstolook down onanyonewhoisnotsuccessful.
Billydidn'ttakepartinthefight.Hejustlooked on.
Janewenttotheshopstolook forapairofshoes.
Ilook forward toseeingyousoon.
Hewasawonderfulteacherandmanystudentslooked up tohim.

Theoldladydressessostrangelythatthekidsmake fun of her.

Someemployeesmake upexcuseswhentheyarrivelateforwork.
Idon'tknowmyneighbours'namesyet.Ikeepmixing them up.
You'veboughtanewhouse?Whenareyoumoving in?.
Myneighbourisleaving.He'smoving out nextSaturday.
Mygrandfatheroftennods offinfrontofthetelevision.
I'llcallthestationandnote downthedeparturetimes.
IenjoytennisbutI'msobusyIhadtoopt outofthetournament.
Theboyowned up.Hesaidhekickedtheballthroughthewindow.

Theoldladypassed awaypeacefully.
Shepassed outwhensheheardthebadnews.
I'lllendyou20providedyoupaymebackbeforetheendofthe
week.
Themeetingwasput off becauseofthestrike.
Couldyouput onthelightplease?
Ittookalongtimetoput outthefire.
Wecan put youupifyou'dliketocomeforaweek-end.
I'llpickyouupatthestationwhenyouarrive.

Shepointed outthemistake.
Don'tworry.Youcanrely onme.Icankeepasecret.
Thepoliceruled outpoliticalmotives.
Heran awayfromhomeattheageoffourteen.
Sophieran intoMariaattheshoppingcentre.
Whatanuisance!We'verun out of coffee.
EarlySaturdaymorningweset offfortheskislopes.
Sheset upherowncompany10yearsago.
It'salwayswisetoshop aroundbeforebuyinganything.
There'sDavidshowing offinhisnewsportscar!
WeexpectedDavidtocomebuthedidn'tshow up.
Ohshut up,youidiot!

Pleasecomeinandsit down.
It'simportanttostick up forone'sprinciples.
Jamiereallytakes afterhisdad.
I'lltake care ofyourplantswhileyou'reaway.
Theplanetook offat6a.m.
Businessisgoodsothecompanyistaking onextrastaff.
Theteachertoldherofffornotdoingherhomework.
I'llhavetothink overtheproposalbeforeIdecide.
I'mnotsureaboutthesize.CanItryiton?
Icouldn'tturn downanofferlikethat!
Thekidshaveused upallthetoothpaste.
YoucangivethekeystoAndy.Icanvouch forhim.

Watchout!There'sacarcoming.
1)Juliewore outhershoesvisitingthecity.
2)AttheendofthedayJuliewasworn out.
1)Iwork outtwiceaweekatthegymclub.
2)It'sexpensivebutIhaven'tworked outtheexactcostyet.
TheteacheraskedLeetowipe off theboard.