A Closer Look: Lesson 13 · Street Talk 3 Vocabulary List

used to imply that a true friend is someone who supports and helps one during difficult times, showing their loyalty and trustworthiness

"Friend in need indeed."

"He helped me move when I was in trouble, proving that a friend in need is a friend indeed."

used to imply that having incomplete knowledge about something can lead to overestimating one's abilities or underestimating the complexity of the subject matter, which can be harmful

"Little knowledge is dangerous."

"He thinks he knows everything about cars, but a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

used to imply that saving money is just as valuable as earning money, as both contribute to increasing one's overall wealth

"Penny saved is earned."

"By bringing my lunch to work every day, I'm following the advice that a penny saved is a penny earned."

used to suggest that constantly monitoring or worrying about something can make it seem like it is taking longer to happen

"Watched pot never boils."

"Stop checking your email every five minutes; a watched pot never boils, it will arrive when it arrives."

used to suggest that being separated from someone or something can increase one's affection and appreciation for them

"Absence makes heart fonder."

"After being away for a year, their reunion showed that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

used to imply that in certain situations, such as relationships or conflicts, people may be willing to take any action to achieve their goals, even if it is not morally or ethically right

"All fair in love."

"He spread rumors about his competitor, believing that all is fair in love and war."

used to imply that as long as a situation or event has a successful or satisfactory conclusion, any difficulties or problems that occurred along the way are ultimately unimportant

"All is well ends well."

"Despite the initial chaos, the wedding was beautiful, proving that all is well that ends well."

used to imply that true beauty goes beyond superficial appearances and should be judged based on deeper qualities such as kindness, compassion, intelligence, and integrity

"Beauty is skin deep."

"He may be handsome, but remember that beauty is only skin deep and character matters more."

used to suggest that in a state of desperation, one must accept whatever is available, rather than being selective or demanding

"It was not a great hotel, but beggars cannot be choosers."

"With limited funding and a tight timeline, they accepted the modest office space — beggars cannot be choosers at this stage."

used to mean that it is better to take action or complete a task, even if it is delayed, rather than not doing it at all

"You are late, but better late than never!"

"The government finally introduced the reforms — better late than never, according to most analysts."

used to suggest that it is preferable to take precautions and be cautious in order to avoid problems or regret later on

"Take an umbrella — better safe than sorry."

"The legal team recommended a thorough review of the contract — better safe than sorry before signing anything."

used to imply that people with similar interests or characteristics tend to associate with each other

"They spend all their time together — birds of a feather flock together."

"The new recruits quickly formed a tight group — birds of a feather flock together, as the manager noted."

used to suggest that family bonds are stronger and more significant than other relationships, indicating that familial ties should be prioritized over friendships or other associations

"Blood is thicker water."

"She chose to help her brother with his business, as blood is thicker than water."

used to refer to an attempt or a guess that was close to achieve success but failed to do so

"Close but no cigar!"

"You were close but no cigar on guessing the correct number of jellybeans in the jar."

used to emphasize that engaging in illegal or unethical behavior may provide temporary benefits or rewards, but the negative consequences will always outweigh the gains

"He stole from the shop and got caught — crime does not pay."

"The elaborate fraud scheme unravelled within months, serving as a stark reminder that crime does not pay."

used to imply that while excessive curiosity can have negative consequences, the pursuit of knowledge or exploration can also be rewarding and fulfilling despite the risks

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"He dug into the confidential files out of pure curiosity — curiosity killed the cat, as it turned out."

to be cautious and not assume that something will succeed or happen as planned, as there is always a possibility of unforeseen obstacles or problems

"Don't count your chickens yet."

"You should not count your chickens before they hatch because unexpected problems can always arise."

to look for faults in a gift, favor, or opportunity that has been given to one, in a way that shows ingratitude

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"She complained about the free laptop, but you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth when someone is generous."

to only rely on one thing or person for achieving success without any alternatives in case it fails

"Do not put all your eggs in one basket."

"Do not put all your eggs in one basket by investing your entire savings in a single company stock."

to not do things in order

"Don't put the cart before the horse."

"Buying furniture before you have a house is putting the cart before the horse, so plan more carefully."

used to imply that maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, with sufficient hours of sleep can have a positive impact on one's health, productivity, and overall well-being

"He wakes up at five every day — early to bed, early to rise."

"She attributed her productivity to a strict routine, living by the principle of early to bed, early to rise."

used to suggest that when something is obtained or achieved easily, it is often lost or wasted just as easily

"He spent all his money on clothes — easy come, easy go."

"The startup burned through its first round of funding in months — easy come, easy go, as investors observed."

used to imply that even in difficult or negative situations, there is often something positive or hopeful to be found

"I lost my job, but every cloud has a silver lining — I finally have time to study."

"The factory closure was devastating, but every cloud has a silver lining — it created space for a modern facility."

used to imply that everyone will eventually experience a moment of good luck or success, regardless of their current situation or status

"He failed many times, but now he is successful — every dog has its day."

"She was overlooked for years, but her breakthrough finally came — every dog has its day."

used to suggest that the more familiar one becomes with someone or something, the more likely one is to develop a negative attitude or lack of respect toward them

"They work together too closely and now argue all the time — familiarity breeds contempt."

"After years of working in the same small office, tensions rose — familiarity breeds contempt."

used to suggest that if someone finds something that is not theirs, they are entitled to keep it, and that the original owner has no claim to it

"I found this pen on the floor — finders keepers!"

"He kept the wallet he found, muttering finders keepers, much to his colleague's disapproval."

used to suggest that acting hastily or without proper consideration can lead to wasted resources or opportunities, which in turn can lead to a state of want or need

"He rushed the report and made many errors — haste makes waste."

"The team skipped the testing phase to save time, only to spend twice as long fixing bugs — haste makes waste."

used to imply that the person who ultimately succeeds or triumphs in a situation will experience the greatest satisfaction, especially if they have faced obstacles or criticism from others

"They laughed at her plan, but it worked — he who laughs last, laughs loudest."

"He was dismissed early in his career, but went on to outperform them all — he who laughs last, laughs best."

used to emphasize that it is always better to tell the truth, even if it may be difficult or inconvenient

"Just tell the truth — honesty is the best policy."

"After years of covering up the losses, the board concluded that honesty is the best policy before the regulators got involved."

used to encourage individuals to continue trying even after experiencing failure or setbacks, with the belief that persistence and resilience are key to achieving success

"You failed the test, but try again — if at first you do not succeed, try, try again."

"The product launch failed twice before it succeeded — if at first you do not succeed, try, try again."

used to imply that both parties involved in a situation or interaction are equally responsible for the outcome and must cooperate and contribute equally to achieve success

"Takes two tango."

"Management blamed the staff, but it takes two to tango — the lack of communication went both ways."

used to promote tolerance and acceptance of different lifestyles, opinions, or beliefs

"He does not care what others do — live and let live."

"In a diverse and multicultural society, the principle of live and let live is essential for peaceful coexistence."

used to imply that the love of money or excessive focus on wealth can lead to immoral or harmful actions

"Money is the root of all evil."

"The politician's corruption scandal proved that the love of money is the root of all evil in society."

used to say that when faced with a difficult situation or problem, people are motivated to find new solutions or innovations to overcome it

"They had no tools, so they made their own — necessity is the mother of invention."

"Cut off from supply chains during the crisis, the engineers improvised brilliantly — necessity is the mother of invention."

used to suggest that in the absence of any information, one can assume that everything is going well or according to plan

"We have not heard anything — no news is good news."

"The team waited anxiously for the audit results, reassuring each other that no news is good news."

used to imply that one must dare to take risks in order to achieve something or to be successful

"Just apply for the course — nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"The company took a calculated risk entering a new market, knowing that nothing ventured, nothing gained."

used for saying that someone may appear threatening or aggressive, but their actions or behavior are not as harmful or severe as their words

"His bark is worse than his bite."

"My boss shouts a lot, but his bark is worse than his bite because he is actually very kind."

used to imply that regular and persistent practice of a skill or activity is necessary in order to become proficient or skilled at it

"Keep practising every day — practice makes perfect."

"She rehearsed the presentation dozens of times before delivering it flawlessly — practice makes perfect."

to follow the advice or beliefs that one advocates to others, and to set an example through one's own actions

"Practice what preach."

"My father tells me to exercise regularly but he never practices what he preaches because he is always sitting on the couch."

used to imply that people are more likely to believe something if they can see it or experience it for themselves, rather than relying on hearsay or second-hand information

"I did not believe it until I saw it — seeing is believing."

"The prototype had been described for months, but seeing is believing — the demo convinced every investor in the room."

used to imply that the person who starts their day or task early will have an advantage over those who start later or procrastinate

"The early bird catches the worm, remember."

"I always wake up before sunrise because I truly believe that the early bird gets the worm, especially when it comes to job opportunities."

a greater number of things or people involved or present, will make a situation more enjoyable

"The more, the merrier."

"You can bring your friends to the party because the more the merrier we have plenty of food and drinks."

used to comfort someone after a breakup, meaning there are many other potential romantic partners available

"There are plenty of fish in the sea."

"After the breakup his friends told him not to worry because there are plenty of fish in the sea."

used to suggest that there are multiple paths to success, and that it is important to be open-minded and flexible in one's approach to problem-solving or achieving goals

"Try a different approach — there is more than one way to skin a cat."

"The first method failed, but there is more than one way to skin a cat and the team quickly found an alternative."

to achieve two goals at the same time only by taking one action

"I killed two birds with one stone."

"I can kill two birds with one stone by picking up my prescription on the way to visit my mother."

used to imply that it is important to seek out and embrace new experiences, activities, and pleasures in life to keep things interesting and enjoyable

"Try something different every week — variety is the spice of life."

"She rotated her team's responsibilities regularly, believing that variety is the spice of life and key to engagement."

to not worry about something beforehand and deal with it whenever it happens

"Cross bridge later."

"We do not know if we will have enough money yet so we will cross that bridge when we come to it."

used to suggest that people will often take advantage of the absence of authority or supervision to do things that they wouldn't do if they were being watched

"The cat is away, mice will play."

"When the teacher left the room, the students started talking loudly because when the cat is away, the mice will play."

used to emphasize that if a person is determined enough to do something, they will find a way to do it, regardless of the obstacles or challenges

"It is hard, but where there is a will, there is a way."

"With no funding and no team, she built the product from scratch — where there is a will, there is a way."

to form an opinion or make a judgment about something or someone based solely on its outward appearance or initial impression

"Do not judge a book by its cover."

"You should not judge a book by its cover because the quiet boy turned out to be an amazing singer."

used to imply that older people are less adaptable to change and new ideas than younger people, as it is difficult or impossible to change someone's old behaviors or habits

"He refuses to use a smartphone — you cannot teach an old dog new tricks."

"The senior partner resisted every new system the firm introduced — you cannot teach an old dog new tricks."