O, P Sayings

(English Idioms & Sayings) Sayings start with O, P

old habits die hard

- it is hard to stop doing something that has become a habit even if you want to stop it
Old habits die hard and it is very difficult for my grandfather to change some of his habits.

once bitten, twice shy

- if something goes wrong one time then you will be careful about doing the same thing again
Once bitten, twice shy and because the woman lost much money on the stock market she did not want to invest money there again.

one good turn deserves another

- a good deed or doing a good thing should be repaid with another good deed or by doing another good thing
One good turn deserves another and I was quick to help my friend after he made a big effort to help me.

one man's meat is another man's poison

- what is good for one person may be bad or unsuitable for another person
One man's meat is another man's poison and while some people like to eat something, other people may hate the same thing.

one man's trash is another man's treasure

- something that someone thinks has no value may be considered valuable by someone else
One man's trash is another man's treasure and people were happy to find the old furniture outside the house.

out of sight, out of mind

- something that is no longer visible will be easily forgotten
The little boy was out of sight and out of mind until his mother discovered that he had emptied all of the shampoo containers into the toilet.

pen is mightier than the sword

- writing and ideas are more powerful than the use of force
The general believed that the pen is mightier than the sword and he tried to use words rather than force to overcome his enemies.

a penny saved is a penny earned

- money saved through spending wisely is just as valuable as the money that you earn by working
A penny saved is a penny earned and it is just as important to be careful spending money as it is to earn money.

penny wise and pound foolish

- to be careful with small amounts of money but to waste large amounts of money on unnecessary things
The woman was penny wise and pound foolish and would hesitate to spend money on fruits and vegetables for her family but would buy very expensive desserts.

people who live in glass houses should not throw stones

- you should not complain about other people unless you are perfect yourself
The man always criticizes his friend for gossiping about other people but people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. He always does the same thing himself.

pot calls the kettle black

- someone criticizes somebody for a fault that they have themselves
My friend always criticizes me for being late but that is like the pot calling the kettle black. He himself is the one who is usually late.

practice makes perfect

- you will become better at something if you practice
The tennis player believes that practice makes perfect and spends every evening playing tennis.

pretty is as pretty does

- you should do pleasant things if you want people to think that you are pleasant
Pretty is as pretty does, I said to my friend and suggested that he should be more pleasant if he wants people to like him.

prevention is better than the cure

- it is better to prevent a problem or an illness in order to avoid having to cure it
Prevention is better than the cure and you should look after your health so that you do not become sick.

pride comes before a fall

- if you have too much pride then you may soon meet a difficulty that will make you humble
The president of the company was arrogant about his business practices. However, pride comes before a fall and he lost his position because of a business scandal.

proof of the pudding is in the eating

- the real value of something can be judged only by practical experience and not from appearance
The company created a new website that they thought many people would visit but the proof of the pudding is in the eating and nobody liked the website.

put one's money where one's mouth is

- to follow through with a stated intention
The company always says that they will buy a new computer for the secretary but they should put their money where their mouth is and buy it.

Posted by Learning English through Idioms, Proverbs and Sayings