F, G Sayings

(English Idioms & Sayings) Sayings starts with F, G

a faint heart never won a lady

- a shy or timid person must be bold to attract the woman that he likes
The man must be more aggressive if he wants to find a girlfriend. He should remember that a faint heart never won a lady.

familiarity breeds contempt

- knowing a person closely for a long time sometimes leads to bad feelings
Familiarity breeds contempt and after living together for several months the two girls were always fighting.

fat is in the fire

- something unwise has been said or done which may cause problems or trouble
The woman said that her colleague was stealing office materials. Now, the fat is in the fire and a serious problem may be developing.

finders keepers, losers weepers

- the person who finds something can keep it and the person who loses it can only cry because it is gone
Finders keepers, losers weepers thought the boy when he found the beautiful pocket knife in the park.

first come, first served

- the person who comes first will have his turn first or be served something first
It was first come, first served at the banquet so we went to the food table quickly.

first time for everything

- just because something has not been done or happened before does not mean that it will never happen
There is a first time for everything and the man recently decided to try skydiving.

flattery will get you nowhere

- praise or flattery will not convince someone to do something that he or she does not want to do
"Flattery will get you nowhere," the woman said to the man who was giving her compliments.

a fool and his money are soon parted

- someone who acts unwisely with money will soon lose it
A fool and his money are soon parted and the man quickly spent the money that he had won in the lottery.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

- inexperienced people with little knowledge often become involved in difficult situations that smarter people would avoid
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread and when house prices became very high many people decided to buy a house.

a friend in need is a friend indeed

- a friend who helps you when you need help is a true friend
He was my best friend since childhood so naturally I helped him when he got into trouble. We both know that a friend in need is a friend indeed.

give a dog a bad name (and hang him)

- it is difficult to regain a reputation that has been lost
It is easy to give a dog a bad name but now it will take a long time for the store to regain their good reputation after the scandal.

give (someone) an inch and they will take a mile

- if you give a little to someone then they will then ask for more
The teacher was always strict in his classroom. He knew that if he gave the pupils an inch they would take a mile and he would lose all control.

give the devil his due

- to recognize the good points of someone who you think is unworthy
We do not like the man's personality but you must give the devil his due, his workmanship is wonderful.

grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)

- a place or a situation that is far away or different seems better than one's present situation
My cousin is always looking for a new job. For her the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Posted by Learning English through Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings