V, W, Y Sayings

(English Idioms & Sayings) Sayings starts with V, W, Y

variety is the spice of life

- life is made more interesting by doing new or different things
The three women believe that variety is the spice of life and they are always traveling to new places and trying new things.

walls have ears

- be careful what you say because someone may be listening
We were told that walls have ears when our supervisor heard us talking in the hall.

waste not, want not

- if you never waste anything then you will not lack for anything either
The children were very poor when they were young and were taught by their parents to waste not, want not.

watched pot never boils

- if you wait impatiently for something to happen then it will seem to take longer
“You should go and sit down rather than wait for the beans to cook. Remember that a watched pot never boils.”

the way to a man's heart is through his stomach

- a woman can win a man's love if she gives him the food that he likes
The woman believed that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and she spent a lot of time cooking for her husband.

what goes around comes around

- justice will be served and you will get what you deserve
What goes around comes around and it is wise to maintain good relations with the people who you work with.

what is good/sauce for the goose is good/sauce for the gander

- what is good for one person should be good for another person as well
If the small bedroom is good enough for me then it should also be good enough for my friend. He should remember that what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

what the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over

- you will not be troubled by something you do not know exists
“Ignore the new furniture that your neighbors recently purchased. Remember that what the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over.”

when in Rome do as the Romans do

- you should adjust your habits to match the customs of the people or place where you live
The diplomat believed that when in Rome do as the Romans do and he made an effort to learn the language and the customs of the people where he lived and worked.

when it rains it pours

- problems often appear together in large numbers or quickly one after the other
When it rains it pours and much time was spent dealing with problem after problem caused by the new accounting system.

when pigs fly

- something is impossible (used when you do not believe something will happen)
I think that my friend will finish his university degree when pigs fly. Probably never.

when the cat's away the mice will play

- when someone in charge of children/students/workers is away then they will enjoy themselves and stop working
The teacher returned to the classroom and everyone was running around. It was a perfect example that when the cat's away the mice will play.

where there's a will there's a way

- if you are sufficiently determined you can overcome difficulties and do what you want to do
Where there's a will there's a way and the young woman worked very hard to get enough money to go to the computer school.

where there's smoke there's fire

- if there is evidence of a problem then there probably is a problem
Where there's smoke there's fire and the discussion of the safety problem suggested that the company should try to do something about it.

the wish is father to the thought

- you want something to be true so you begin to think that it is true
The wish is father to the thought and the woman believed that her boyfriend wanted to get married even though he did not.

you are only young once

- enjoy life while you are young and before you must face the responsibilities of life
The young man's grandmother believed that you are only young once and encouraged her grandson to do many new things in his life.

you are what you eat

- in order to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food
You are what you eat so you should try to eat healthy food.

you can lead/take a horse to water but you can't make him drink

- you can give someone the opportunity to do something but you can't get him or her to do it if they don't want to
The woman took her children to the park but they were not interested in playing in the playground. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

you can't teach an old dog new tricks

- people become used to their way of doing things and you can't get them to change
My friend refused to try anything new and would never go to a new restaurant. It is true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

you make your bed and you must lie on it

- you will suffer the results of your own actions, you are responsible for your actions
The man refused to wear his rubber boots when he went out in the rain. Now he must spend the day wearing wet clothes. He made his bed and now he must lie on it.

your sins will find you out

- if you do something wrong it will be discovered
Your sins will find you out and you should be honest at all times.


Posted by Learning English through Proverbs, Idioms and Sayings