Certainty & Uncertainty: English Vocabulary List

used to convey that death is an inevitable aspect of life, and that no matter what one does or how much one tries to avoid it, death is a certainty that everyone must face eventually

"Death is certain, nothing is surer."

"While we worry about many things, nothing is surer than death, so live fully."

used to imply that life is uncertain and unpredictable, and that unexpected events or circumstances can always arise, making it impossible to be certain about the future

"The unexpected always happens — nothing is certain but the unforeseen."

"Despite thorough planning, the crisis came from a direction nobody had considered — nothing is certain but the unforeseen."

used to imply that true happiness and success cannot be accurately judged until the end of one's life, as unforeseen events or circumstances can arise that may change their fortunes

"Wait until the end before judging — call no man happy until he dies."

"She had built a successful business but was not at peace — call no man happy till he is history."

used to say that one should not celebrate or declare victory until you are completely sure that the situation is over or resolved

"Do not halloo until out of woods."

"The doctor advised us not to halloo until we are out of the woods, as the patient still needs careful monitoring."

used to imply that one should not make assumptions or premature judgments about the final result of something, as there is still a possibility of a surprise or unexpected turn of events

"It is not over until fat lady sings."

"Even though we are winning by ten points, remember that it is not over until the fat lady sings, so stay focused."

used to imply that even when something seems certain or likely to happen, there are many opportunities for it to go wrong or for unexpected events to intervene before it is actually achieved

"Many a slip between cup and lip."

"We thought the deal was finalized, but there is many a slip between cup and lip before it's truly done."

used to suggest that it is often safer to stick with a known situation, even if it is not ideal, than to risk the unknown

"A familiar problem is safer than an unknown one — better the devil you know than the devil you do not."

"She stayed in the difficult job rather than risk something worse — better the devil you know than the devil you do not."