Rodgers Dictionary of Proverbs
Better suffer a known evil than change for
uncertain good.
Better suffer for the truth than prosper in a
falsehood.
Better take time.
Better ten people hurt than one dead.
Better ten times ill than one time dead.
Better than a banquet somewhere else is a
good cup of tea and a bowl of rice at
home.
Better than a thousand days of diligent
study is one day with a great teacher.
Better than gold is a tale rightly told.
Better than the ignorant are those who read
books; better still are those who retain
what they read; even better are those
who understand it; the best of all are
those who go to work.
Better than the young man’s knowledge is
the old man’s experience.
Better the bad one from a good breed than
the better one from a bad breed.
Better the best of the worst than the worst of
the best.
Better the certainty of the straddle than the
mere loan of a saddle.
Better the child cry than the old man.
Better the child cry, than the mother sigh.
Better the child weeps than your wife.
Better the cold blast of winter than the hot
breath of a pursuing elephant.
Better the coldness of a friend than the
sweetness of an enemy.
Better the cottage where one is merry than
the palace where one weeps.
Better the devil you know than the devil you
don’t know.
Better the Devil you know than the Devil
you don't.
Better the first of its kind than the last.
Better the foot slip than the tongue.
Better the friend we can see than the money
we cannot.
Better the grave than a slave.
Better the gurgling of a camel than the
prayers of a fish.
Better the head of a village than the tail of a
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town.
Better the rod that bends than one that
breaks.
Better the second husband of a widow than
the first.
Better the world should know you as a
sinner than God know you as a
hypocrite.
Better there should be too much than too
little.
Better they should say, “There he ran away,”
than, “There he died.”
Better thin beer than an empty jug.
Better three hours too soon than a minute
too late
Better tine life than gude fame.
Better to aim at comfort’ than at luxury.
Better to ask a question than to remain
ignorant.
Better to ask than to go astray.
Better to ask the way than go astray.
Better to ask twice than to lose your way
once.
Better to be a crystal and to be broken, than
to be a tile upon the housetop.
Better to be a cuckold and not know it than
to not be one and everybody say so.
Better to be a dog in peacetime that a man in
wartime.
Better to be a free bird than a captive king.
Better to be a free dog than a caged lion.
Better to be a poor woman than the slave of
the rich.
Better to be alone than in bad company.
Better to be an ant’s head than a lion’s tail.
Better to be born a limpet in the sea, than a
load bearing donkey.
Better to be envied than pitied.
Better to be guilty in the eyes of men than in
the eyes of God.
Better to be idle than ill employed.
Better to be ill spoken of by one before all
than by all before one.
Better to be known as a sinner than a
hypocrite.