About This Quiz
Think you know your English proverbs?
Bet we have a few in this quiz that will put your knowledge to the test and then some!
But what is a proverb, exactly? Well, let us take this direct description from the internet dictionary. A proverb is "a short, well-known pithy saying, stating a general truth or a piece of advice."
Easy enough, right? And you would have heard all the classics. For example, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Or what about "practice makes perfect?"
And yes, we have a number of proverbs in this quiz that you should know, but we have also found some really difficult ones to test you to the fullest.
I bet you didn't know that proverbs have formed part of the English language for hundreds and hundreds of years. And many of them come from the Bible. Were you aware of that? Some even come from older civilizations, for example, ancient Egypt while others have a similar form in many different cultures.Â
So let us get down to business ... the nitty gritty, so to speak. Before you are 35 of the greatest proverbs ever. Let's see how many you actually know.Â
A popular English proverb, there are many theories to when this first came to existence. A written record of a very similar saying has been found from 1768 in a piece of writing by Sir James Porter.
Advertisement
Believe it or not, this is a fairly modern proverb and first appeared in a 1918 song by Eddie Green.
Advertisement
This phrase is found in the Bible, Jeremiah 13:23 to be exact.
Advertisement
Did you know that the original form of this phrase was 'All that glisters is not gold'. And who used it first? Shakespeare in his play, the "Merchant of Venice."
Advertisement
This popular English proverb was first seen in the Bible, Galatians 7 to be exact.
Advertisement
Although the first written example of this was found in 1828 in the English paper, the Morning Chronicle, it is thought it was used in society for at least 100 years before that.
Advertisement
This phrase first appeared in a piece of writing by Sir Thomas Overbury in 1613. He wrote 'All the carnal beauty of my wife, Is but skin deep.'
Advertisement
This proverb is very similar to another, 'Don't look a gift horse in the mouth'. It first appeared in 1652, later than the gift horse ...
Advertisement
Early indications of this phrase could be traced by to the 1300s in Old English.
Advertisement
This phrase is found in the Bible, Matthew 7:6 to be exact
Advertisement
This phrase was first used in a book by John Selden called Table Talk which first appeared in 1654.
Advertisement
Interestingly, many theories abound as to when and where this phrase started. Some even say that it is to do with letting a cat-o-nine-tails (a whip) out of a bag meant a lashing for sailors on a ship. All we know if that today it has to do with keeping a secret.
Advertisement
Another option of this English proverb is 'Empty vessels make the most sound'.
Advertisement
Rumor has it that this phrase was first coined by Queen Elizabeth I, although many historians believe that the phrase was used before 1550.
Advertisement
Records show that this saying, well an Old English version of it, was first documented in around 1546.
Advertisement
A phrase used much in modern society, essentially 'horses for courses' is broken down like this. People have certain talents and it is essential to choose the right person for the job if you want it done properly.
Advertisement
This phrase was first found in a play by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839. It was called Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy.
Advertisement
This phrase first appeared in print in 1546 in a book by John Heywood about English proverbs. It was called 'A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue'. Is that old English or is someone missing a spellchecker?
Advertisement
Interestingly, unlike many other proverbs, this one is not that old and was first seen in print in 1832.
Advertisement
Acclaimed English author Geoffrey Chaucer first used this phrase in 1390 in A Cook's Tale.
Advertisement
No one knows when this phrase was first used, but it was seen in print from the 18th century onward. Political writer Edmund Burke was credited with using it in print first.
Advertisement
This is a Biblical phrase, found in Timothy 6:10.
Advertisement
This phrase was first used by poet John Donne in 1624 in his poem Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Seuerall Steps in my Sicknes - Meditation XVII.
Advertisement
Found in Isaiah 57 in the Bible, this phrase is literal and describes the eternal torment that awaits evil doers and sinners.
Advertisement
An old phrase, this was first found in a French poem from 1190. It was first seen in English in 1545.
Advertisement
Some believe this proverb originated in ancient Egypt. Its first use in English is seen in 1831, translated from German by Thomas Carlyle.
Advertisement
With its reference to blacksmithing, you would guess this is a fairly old phrase. And it is. It first appeared in print in 1566 in a written piece by Richard Edwards.
Advertisement
Although probably used well before then, the first example in print of this proverb were seen in 1650 in the book, Pisgah-Sight Of Palestine And The Confines Thereof by Thomas Fuller.
Advertisement
This phrase was first seen in print in 1570 in 'New Sonnets and pretty Pamphlets' by Thomas Howell. No doubt it had been used before that.
Advertisement
This proverb was found in the writings of Sir Edwin Sandys in around 1599. He wrote 'Our grosse conceipts, who think honestie the best policie'
Advertisement
Many ancient cultures have similar sayings but this phrase is found in the Bible in Matthew 7:12. This was commonly called the golden rule in the 17th century.
Advertisement
John Heywood first recorded this phrase in print in 1546.
Advertisement
The notion of this proverb is basically to ensure that you have a backup plan. The eggs in one basket could be destroyed with a simple trip and fall. Two baskets carried by separate people mean that at least half survive should this occur.
Advertisement
Think of a restaurant that looks terrible on the inside and out but serves Michelin star quality food. That's an example of what the proverb is referring to.
Advertisement
This proverb is so true. People have so many varied tastes, that what we might find horrible in the form of decor for example, another person might love. This can be applied to anything, really.
Advertisement