it does not matter if a cat is black or white (as|so) long as it catches mice/ɪt dʌznˌɑːt mˈæɾɚ ɪf ɐ kˈæt ɪz blˈæk ɔːɹ wˈaɪt æz ɔːɹ sˌoʊ lˈɑːŋ æz ɪt kˈætʃᵻz mˈaɪs/sentence
used to imply that achieving the desired outcome is more important than superficial qualities or traditional approaches, highlighting the importance of practicality and effectiveness
"Judge by results, not appearance — it does not matter if a cat is black or white so long as it catches mice."
"She hired based on output, not background — it does not matter if a cat is black or white as long as it catches mice."
a king's chaff is worth more than other men's corn/ɐ kˈɪŋz tʃˈæf ɪz wˈɜːθ mˈoːɹ ðɐn ˈʌðɚ mˈɛnz kˈɔːɹn/sentence
used to imply that something associated with a person in a position of power is perceived as more valuable than the same thing associated with someone of lesser status, regardless of its actual worth
"What comes from a powerful source is always more valued — a king's chaff is worth more than other men's corn."
"The minor endorsement from the industry leader outweighed the major support of everyone else — a king's chaff is worth more than other men's corn."
a store is no sore/ɐ stˈoːɹ ɪz nˈoʊ sˈoːɹ/sentence
used to highlight the idea of keeping or storing items that may not have immediate value or purpose, as they could prove useful or valuable in the future
"Having a stock of something is never a burden — a store is no sore."
"He kept tools he never used, believing a store is no sore for future projects."
free vinegar is sweeter than honey/fɹˈiː vˈɪnᵻɡɚɹ ɪz swˈiːɾɚ ðɐn hˈʌni/sentence
used to suggest that something that is free is often more appreciated than something that is expensive, even if the free thing is of lower quality
"Something free feels better even if it is lesser — free vinegar is sweeter than honey."
"The complimentary upgrade was nothing special, but free vinegar is sweeter than honey."
it is a poor dog that is not worth whistling for/ɪt ɪz ɐ pˈʊɹ dˈɑːɡ ðæt ɪz nˌɑːt wˈɜːθ wˈɪslɪŋ fɔːɹ/sentence
used to imply that even seemingly insignificant things or people can have value or usefulness, and that one should not dismiss or underestimate them too quickly
"Even the least impressive thing has value — it is a poor dog that is not worth whistling for."
"He was modest and unassuming but delivered consistently — it is a poor dog that is not worth whistling for."
not worth a brass farthing/nˌɑːt wˈɜːθ ɐ bɹˈæs fˈɑːɹθɪŋ/phrase
used to imply that something or someone is completely worthless and has no value at all
"His promise is not worth a brass farthing."
"The old broken watch is not worth a brass farthing so just throw it away because it is worthless."
one man's (trash|junk) is another man's treasure/wˈʌn mˈænz tɹˈæʃ ɔːɹ dʒˈʌŋk ɪz ɐnˈʌðɚ mˈænz tɹˈɛʒɚ/sentence
used to suggest that what is considered worthless by one person may be valuable to another, as value is subjective and varies from person to person
"Useless things to one person can be valuable to another — one man's trash is another man's treasure."
"What one man's junk is another man's treasure became clear at the flea market."
keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it/kˈiːp ɐ θˈɪŋ sˈɛvən jˈɪɹz ænd juː wɪl fˈaɪnd ɐ jˈuːs fɔːɹ ɪt/sentence
used to suggest that if one holds on to something for a long enough time, one will eventually find a purpose or a use for it
"Keep things — you always find a use eventually — keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it."
"She had held onto the old software licence and it proved useful years later — keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it."
no more than the man in the moon/nˈoʊmˌoːɹ ðɐn ðə mˈæn ɪnðə mˈuːn/phrase
used to imply that someone or something is considered to be insignificant, unimportant, or of little value
"I know no more about it than the man in the moon."
"His contribution to the project was minimal, no more than the man in the moon."
Learn all 9 words in this list with spaced repetition