10 Steps for Maintaining a Positive Attitude in the Workplace

Every workplace is different, and accordingly, each has unique challenges. Simple solutions do not apply to every business, especially if managers and employees are constrained by rigid labor agreements or ill-conceived business models. Nevertheless, the following time-tested principles should serve as a checklist designed to assist leader/managers in the never-ending challenge of maintaining a positive overall attitude in the workplace.
 
1. The leader/manager should, first and foremost, demonstrate a commitment to the organization through hard work and responsible behavior.

"Nothing is so infectious as example."La Rochefoucauld
"Example is the school of humankind, and they will learn at no other."Edmund Burke
"Any team can be a miracle team, but you have to go out and work for your miracles."Pat Riley

2. The leader must be competent and worthy of leadership.

"Leadership comes from competence. Leadership is by example, not talk."Bill Walsh

"Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, better to bruise than to polish."Anne Bradstreet

"He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command."Machiavell i
 
3. The leader should have a clear vision of the goals of the organization; the leader should clearly communicate those goals to the appropriate parties.

"Nobody wants to follow somebody who doesn't know where he's going."Joe Namath

"If you don't know where you're going, be careful. You might get there."yogi Berra

"The true leader inspires in others self-trust, guiding their eyes to the spirit of the goal."Bronson Alcott

4. The leader should translate the organization' s goals into clearly definable work.

"One of the most important factors, not only in military matters but in life as a whole, is the ability to direct one's whole energies towards the fulfillment of a particular task."Erwin Rommel

"The best plan is only a plan, that is, good intentions, unless it degenerates into work."Peter F. Drucker

"Inspiration comes from working every day."Charles Baudelaire

5. The leader should establish clear expectations and provide frequent feedback so that employees will know when they have been successful in their work and when they have failed.
 
"Drive thy business or thy business will drive thee."Ben Franklin

"Issuing order is worth about 10 percent. The remaining 90 percent consists in assuring proper and vigorous execution of the order."General George S. Patton

"As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do."
Andrew Carnegie

6. The leader should create an atmosphere of success, one in which employees confidently believe that they can be successful if they apply themselves.

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own."Benjamin Disraeli

"Confidence imparts a wonderful inspiration to its possessor."John Milton

"Act as if it were impossible to fail."Dorthea Brand
 
7. The leader should reward success and praise behavior that meets or exceeds expectations while dealing forthrightly with behavior that fails to meet expectations.

"The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated. "William James

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish." Sam Walton

"Praise loudly. Criticize softly.."Lou Holtz
 
8. The leader should demonstrate appropriate respect for his or her employees.

"We awaken in others the same attitude of mind we hold toward them."Elbert Hubbard

"We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life."
Edwin Markham
"When you respect the other person, you respect yourself."Clint Eastwood

9. The manager should understand that attitudes are contagious and that a manager's outlook, either positive or negative, will play a major role in the overall attitude of the workplace.

"The real secret of success is enthusiasm. Yes, more than enthusiasm, I would say excitement. When people get excited, they make a success of their lives."Walter Chrysler

"People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed.."Audrey Hepburn

"Passion persuades."Anita Roddick
 
10.. The leader must understand that chronically negative individuals will, inevitably, have a profound negative impact on the morale of the workplace.

 

HOW TO PREPARE FOR CAT (COMMON ADMISSION TEST)~~

The Common Admission Test (CAT) for admission to IIMs and other management institutes has been announced. In this section we cover some frequently answered questions as to how students should prepare for the exam. This section will be helpful to students who wish to appear in CAT and other management entrance exams.

 

a) Pattern of the tests

 

Management entrance tests traditionally have three sections:

 

Maths, English, and Reasoning.

 

There are 75 questions with 25 questions in each section. The test is of two and a half hours duration. As nobody can do all the questions in this time, the candidate must have the ability to pick and choose the questions that must be done. You get 4 marks for every correct answer and –1 for every wrong answer, so avoid guesses.

 

b) When to start?

 

Start preparation as early as possible. Use your summer vacations to cover up your basics. A high level of logic and reasoning skills must be developed as the questions are not straightforward, at least in CAT. Each question requires some thought, and what may appear to be answer initially, may usually be wrong.

 

An important thing to keep in mind is the fact that the student must exhibit proficiency in all sections of the paper. This means that all sections must be attempted. Usually students make the mistake of attempting only those areas in which they are good. For example, engineering students would like to attempt all the questions in maths section and will not touch verbal, while an arts student may like to attempt only English and avoid maths. This is not the road to success.

 

c) Changes in test pattern

 

IIMs are at liberty to change or modify the test. This is done perhaps to separate the student who rely on mugging up from those who approach the test with an open mind. Hence, no fixed pattern works. In the ultimate analysis, the student who is able to adjust himself to changed time, or number of questions, or any other difference in pattern, will survive. If you have been depending on "magic formulae" as many coaching institutes provide, or are good at mugging up things, chances are that you will be baffled if you see any change in the pattern of the test.

 

Approach the paper with an open mind and do not get confused with any new element. After all, a manager has to deal with different situations and this test simply puts forth real life situations in a microcosm.

 

 

HOW TO PREPARE FIRST STEP:

 

Do your basics in Maths, English Grammar and Vocabulary, and understand how reasoning sums are to be done. This can be done from class 10 books or from study material or correspondence course of a coaching institute. Do not worry about speed at this stage.

 

Maths—Must do topics

 

—Number Systems, Factors,

 

HCF, LCM, Change of base

 

—Percentages, Profit and Loss,

Time and Speed, Ratios

 

—Geometry, Areas and Volumes,

Trigonometry

 

—Algebra, Quadratic Equations,

Logs, Functions, Graphs,

Series, Inequalities, Venn diagrams

 

—Less frequently asked or

fewer questions

 

—Probability, Permutations

and Combinations, Binomial expansion

 

 

—Calendars, Clocks, Races,

Stocks, Simple and Compound

Interest

 

Learn tables by heart. Things like fractions and percentages must also be learnt by heart. For instance, if you are to find 37.5% of 88,000 do not do 88000 × 375/1000, which will undoubtedly take a long time. Instead remember that 37.5% is equivalent to 3/8 so the sum boils down to multiplying 88,000 by 3/8, which is mental, and the answer should be 33,000.

 

Also look for shorter cuts in doing sums. If the sum is a lengthy like: where a person comes and takes 1/3rd sweets from a bowl and another takes 1/4th of the remainder and still another takes ½ of the rest, then how many sweets did we start out with? The shorter way to arrive at answer in such question would be to see the choices and find which of the choices is divided by 3 and 4; the answer will be a multiple of 12. By doing sums like this, a student can arrive at the answers faster than by doing them in the conventional way. In above case it will become a complicated equation if we take x and subtract the sweets taken at each stage.

 

 

MANAGEMENT

DI Section

 

Data Interpretation requires an understanding of graphs and charts. Puzzles are also frequently asked in this section as also a good amount of reasoning. To prepare for this section, one must be competent in the following areas:

 

1. Graphs and charts

2. Analytical Reasoning

3. Different reasoning questions,

coding-decoding, series, sets,

and so on.

4. Data Sufficiency

5. Puzzles

 

English Section

 

Verbal Ability has always been an integral part of MBA exams. For many people Verbal Ability is a bugbear because long lists of words have to be learnt and then long aragraphs have to be unjumbled. Moreover, the choices are often quite close and one is never sure of the answer. Coaching centres typically do not teach English properly, so one must work on one's own. Attempts must be made to understand each kind of question that is asked. The broad categories of different questions asked are: (a) Vocabulary, (b) Jumbled Paragraphs,

 

(c) Fill in the blanks, (d) Sentence Improvement, (e) Syllogisms, (f) Paragraph Completion (g) Critical Reasoning and (h) English Usage. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, because the examiner is free to include different questions every year. In the first step, get familiar with the different types of questions.

 

 

SECOND STEP:

 

The second step involves developing speed and familiarity. You must do a large number of section tests now.

 

A section test consists of 25-30 questions on Maths, English or Reasoning. Each test must be done in 50 minutes exactly, so time yourself. Do at least three section tests every day, one of each. After the test, look up the answers and explanations and learn where you made the mistake. The test and the analysis should take you two hours each. Note down the points in a diary. New words you come across should also be written down. A minimum of 10 section tests in each area must be attempted. The more you do, the more speed and understanding you will develop.

 

THIRD STEP:

 

In the third step, you must do a number of Mock-Tests. Such tests should have all the three sections with varying number of questions. Do the tests in the requisite time of 2 ½ hours, making sure that all the sections are attempted. Look for tests that change the pattern, so that you are not taken by surprise in the final exam. After each test, analyze it by going over the answers and explanations. Make notes of where you get stuck. Also keep a record of your scores as you appear in various tests.

 

Start by doing one Mock-Test every week, increasing it to two tests every week. In November, do one test everyday till November 16th and supplement it with section tests in areas where you are lagging.

 

Which coaching institute?

 

Students are often confused as to which institute they should join. High powered advertising and all kinds of claims of coaching institutes tend to confuse the youngster.  Do not believe all that you see in newspapers or on television. Coaching institutes make tall claims and many students are disappointed after paying the fees. For example, choose an institute if you are comfortable with the teachers, not on the basis of claims. Also, take sure that the institute is near your home, otherwise you will waste a lot of time commuting. It is not necessary to join one, if you can study on your own. You can buy the study material and practice on your own.

 

Safe Instant Messaging - Ten tips to protect yourself while chatting online

Safe Instant Messaging

Ten tips to protect yourself while chatting online

 

Just like e-mail, instant messaging (IM) also poses security threats. In some ways, the threats are more severe in this case, because to use instant messaging, you have to bypass any firewall that you've installed on your machine. This means that potential threats, such as viruses, worms or Trojans already have a door that opens to your computer through the firewall. What's more, they also have a readymade list of your friends which they can use for further infection and propagation.

 

For instance, you could receive a message with a URL from a trusted source, while the URL may lead you to a Web page that contains malicious code, such as a Trojan. Within minutes, the URL will be sent from your instant message ID to your buddy list, with all your friends assuming that you've sent the link. If you or any of them click the URL, an infection is guaranteed. The same thing can also happen through file transfers, where the attachment may contain a Trojan, virus, or worm, or a combination of these.

 

Such malicious code can make a lot of mischief on your machine, such as stealing passwords and other personal information, using your machine in denial of service attacks, configuring your hard disk to share all your files, and so on.

 

It's essential, therefore, to be very careful while using instant messaging. Here are some things you can do for your protection.

 

• Speak only to known people
  Instant messaging should ideally be used only to speak to people who are on your Contacts list. Making contact with a stranger over chat is fraught with risks, as you don't know the other person's intentions or why he or she wants to chat with you. Chatting in public rooms also pose a similar risk. When you receive chat invitations, you should be careful of who you add to your contacts or friends or buddy list. Add only those people whom you know well and trust; and accept invitations to be added to the contacts' or friends' lists of only such people.
   
• Be wary of links and downloads
  If you receive an image, link or other files over IM, first confirm that they are from someone you trust. You should never download anything or click a link sent by strangers. The second step is to confirm with the senders if they have sent anything—if it's a malicious file or link that used the sender's ID to propagate itself, your friend won't know anything about it.
   
• Be secretive of personal information
  You should not give your name or email ID in areas such as public chat rooms. It's also advisable not to disclose personal information such as telephone numbers, passwords, bank account or credit card numbers in IM conversations, even if you're talking to someone you know. Most IM service providers don't ask you for personal information. So, if you get a message professing to be from the service provider and asking you to 'verify' your ID or password, you can be sure that it's fake and a security threat. Ignore such messages.
   
• Create good screen names
  Ideally, your screen name for IM should not give out personal information like your name or email ID. Using a nickname is much safer.
   
• Be careful on public computers
  If you use IM at a cyber café, don't use the option of logging on automatically. Otherwise, your information will be visible to people who use the computer after you.
   
• Never respond to unsolicited messages
  If someone is sending you unsolicited chat invitations or messages, you should not respond to them. Most IM applications give you the option to block senders—use that.
   
• Advise your children about IM security
  Ensure that your children are safe while using IM. Advise them against responding to unsolicited messages, giving out personal information, and downloading files over IM. Speak to them about the threats of using IM and how they can use it safely.
   
• Download and install updates
  Be sure to download and install any security updates provided by your IM service provider. These will help to plug any security loopholes in the application.
   
• Avoid using IM at work
  Using IM applications at work puts not only you, but the entire corporate network at risk for infection. That's because most IM applications open a way through firewalls, which is risky. Therefore, try not to use IM at work, unless your employer has a corporate IM solution, policy and security measures in place.
   
• Use encryption on corporate networks
  If a corporate wants to use IM, an instant-messaging application that enables encryption should be used. Several providers have such applications for corporate use. In addition, users should be aware of the security risks, and the corporate security policy should involve keeping IM logs to detect suspicious activity.

Keep the Spark Alive!!!

Keep the Spark Alive!!!

 

Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program 2008

(c) Chetan Bhagat

 

 

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak
to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college,
leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to
become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few
days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college
is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling
in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the
teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be
curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes
you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the
spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not
all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year
old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make
them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A
story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for
birthday party - several months in advance - just for the day they will
cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see
older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the
spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected,
aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs
the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how
to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing -
to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard
against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve
and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is
possible for you. It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to
company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material
landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money
constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big
achievement.

But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr Ambani would
not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance
anymore. Steve Jobs won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he
sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What
makes them come to work everyday?

They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them
feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you
study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to
interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice,
your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become
Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that
next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we
were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of
nature's design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.

I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give
you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before
successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental
peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup.
There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not
enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a
marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of
those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a marble in a
spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming
first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble.
Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else,
you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being
excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously.
One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One
student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga
practice. The teacher said - don't be serious, be sincere. This quote
has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my
relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my
writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism.
If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I
live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary
here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are
lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500
weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few
classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not
programmed devices.

I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking
it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four
storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These
must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration,
unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the
expected return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure.
Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out
stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need
to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to
when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill
themselves over low grades - how silly is that? But that is how much
failure can hurt you.

But it's life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease
to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that
means you are at your limit or potential. And that's where you want to
be.

Disappointment' s cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you
ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is
especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you
deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose
the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as
I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took
me five years to get close to a release.

Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into
something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it?
A realistic assessment of the time involved - movies take a long time to
make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment
in the process rather than the end result - at least I was learning how
to write scripts , having a side plan - I had my third book to write
and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life -
friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to
be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too
seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is
how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful
faces, pedigree find it easier to make it - not just in Bollywood, but
everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few
opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make
it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in
the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately
things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than
you.

In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this
speech in English means you are pretty darn lucky by Indian standards.
Let's be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what
we don't. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot
even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise. It's ok. I don't
look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more
beautiful than her. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you
grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all
kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you
still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize
you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel,
may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create
conflict as your goals may not match with others. . And you may drop
some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing
basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up
something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But
in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love
yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment,
frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like
the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just
need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If
someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose
college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you eyes will
shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive,
not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I
hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as
we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is
something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

 

Outsourcing Management

To understand why outsourcing – specifically, the outsourcing of
services – is completely overhauling management styles, we need to
take a step back to see how we got here in the first place.
As the large corporation blossomed in the late 1800s, it was first
modeled as a stiff hierarchy, not much different than a sole
proprietorship writ large. The only examples it could draw from were
the religious, governmental and military institutions that had been in
place for centuries. Then in the 1920s, Alfred Sloan at General
Motors, along with a handful of other innovative companies, crafted
what we now know as a multi-divisional form. This new organizational
design left finance and strategy functions at headquarters, but pushed
operations and other tactical functions into the hands of field
personnel. Large companies were able to grow even larger and manage
ever greater scope because they were more nimble than their
comparatively hierarchical counterparts.
Although the structure of the large organization changed, it was only
a first step. Even into the late 20th century the old hierarchical,
manufacturing-oriented management styles endured. A lot of those old-
school boys are still with us. Such antiquated management styles may
have been okay during the manufacturing era, but the emphasis on
services changes everything. When services used to be classified as
merely overhead, they made up a small percentage of overall costs
relative to raw materials and direct labor. They were safely ensconced
within the walls of the old-style organization.

Now services are the products, and they contain a huge people
component. The ability to readily outsource services, which now
comprise over 80% of the economy in terms of employment, will strip
down the old corporation to its core. All of the attendant functions
and non-related processes will be turned over to specialists, and as a
result more and more work will get done outside corporate boundaries.
This speaks to functions that were formerly housed in the SG&A (sales,
general and administrative) line entry on a company's profit and loss
statement: human resources, for example. Many finance and accounting
functions. Routine transaction processing. None of these functions are
core competencies for most organizations, so they will be farmed out
to companies where they are core. Executives and professionals will
manage services across a growing global network of other organizations
resembling nothing that has been seen before.

This change in governance may seem unremarkable, but it will have a
huge impact on management practice. Management behavior will be forced
to change at long last – not because of goodwill or altruistic
intentions on the part of management – but rather through the
discipline of the market, the nature of the new rules of competition
and the pervasiveness of services outsourcing. And make no mistake –
the lessons will be harsh.

Because the old governance mechanisms won't work anymore as
outsourcing and cross-organizational relationships become far more
important, new management competencies will be required. Working with
other organizations requires skills that many traditional managers
just don't have. Internal departments, for example, can be managed by
whim or fiat. External suppliers can't and won't operate in such a
fashion. The upshot will be that old authoritarian management styles
will prove ineffective - even laughable. Strong working relationships
will win the day; idiosyncratic, ego-driven personalities will be an
expensive luxury that few can afford.

While in the 20th century it was hard to communicate across
organizational boundaries, nowadays we can easily trade or obtain
information, skills, or services across the globe by tapping expertise
in hundreds of thousands of organizations. Managers still relying too
much on in-house resources will find themselves at a distinct
competitive disadvantage. So clearly, organizations – even smaller
ones – will become dispersed and porous as more transactions occur
across organizational boundaries. The extended organization is posing
new challenges for managers and will require new skills to be
successful.

Many of these new skill sets will be outside our traditional comfort
zones. Learning Mandarin, Cantonese or other Eastern dialects/
languages, for example, will present significant challenges to most
people in the West. Diligence in the more quantitatively oriented
disciplines is also lagging for developed countries, particularly the
U.S.
If in fact many skills have become obsolete or commoditized, it's fair
to ask what skills will be in demand ten years from now. Below is a
list of some possibilities:

< Soft Skills >
- Cultural Awareness
- Global Diversity
- Foreign Languages
- Willingness to Travel
- Humanities
- Change Management
- People Management
- Strong Ability to Communicate
- Continual Collaboration

< Technical Skills >
- Software as a Service
- Technical Certification (e.g., ITIL, COBIT)
- Financial Analytics
- Spend Management in Procurement
- Project Management
- Life Sciences: Impact of Nanotechnology
- Commercial Terms and Contracts
- Industrial Engineering/Operations Management

Both soft and hard skills will be required. Computer savvy alone won't
cut it. Being a great engineer without the ability to work effectively
with people from different cultures will not be enough. The workers of
the 21st century will have to have specialist skills as the price of
admission, but they will also have to have people skills. That's what
it will take to be successful in the next phase of economic evolution:
new specialist skills, new people-oriented management styles, new
flexible organizational structures. These are the new realities. The
grim alternative is to face obsolescence or marginalization, both as
organizations and as individuals.

Greater collaboration will become a must because it improves
coordination. Management will be more systematic by being focused on
outputs, process interfaces, and clear rules of engagement – all of
which go part and parcel with outsourcing. Strong working
relationships combined with a portfolio of skills decidedly different
from those of the last century will spell success in the new economy.

In the years ahead, watch the old-school managers and executives
retire early or be forced to bring new mindsets to the game. Many old-
school boys have become casualties already. Will you be next?

1000 English Proverbs and Sayings

1000 English Proverbs and Sayings

1. A bad beginning makes a bad ending.
2. A bad corn promise is better than a good lawsuit.
3. A bad workman quarrels with his tools.
4. A bargain is a bargain.
5. A beggar can never be bankrupt.
6. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
7. A bird may be known by its song.
8. A black hen lays a white egg.
9. A blind leader of the blind.
10. A blind man would be glad to see.
11. A broken friendship may be soldered, but will never be sound.
12. A burden of one's own choice is not felt.
13. A burnt child dreads the fire.
14. A cat in gloves catches no mice.
15. A city that parleys is half gotten.
16. A civil denial is better than a rude grant.
17. A clean fast is better than a dirty breakfast.
18. A clean hand wants no washing.
19. A clear conscience laughs at false accusations.
20. A close mouth catches no flies.
21. A cock is valiant on his own dunghill.
22. A cracked bell can never sound well.
23. A creaking door hangs long on its hinges.
24. A curst cow has short horns.
25. A danger foreseen is half avoided.
26. A drop in the bucket.
27. A drowning man will catch at a straw.
28. A fair face may hide a foul heart.
29. A fault confessed is half redressed.
30. A fly in the ointment.
31. A fool always rushes to the fore.
32. A fool and his money are soon parted.
33. A fool at forty is a fool indeed.
34. A fool may ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years.
35. A fool may throw a stone into a well which a hundred wise men cannot pull out.
36. A fool's tongue runs before his wit.
37. A forced kindness deserves no thanks.
38. A foul morn may turn to a fair day.
39. A fox is not taken twice in the same snare.
40. A friend in need is a friend indeed.  
43. A friend is never known till needed.
42. A friend to all is a friend to none.
43. A friend's frown is better than a foe's smile.
44. A good anvil does not fear the hammer.
45. A good beginning is half the battle.
46. A good beginning makes a good ending.
47. A good deed is never lost.
48. A good dog deserves a good bone.
49. A good example is the best sermon.
50. A good face is a letter of recommendation.
51. A good Jack makes a good Jill.
52. A good marksman may miss.
53. A good name is better than riches.
54. A good name is sooner lost than won.
55. A good name keeps its lustre in the dark.
56. A good wife makes a good husband.
57. A great dowry is a bed full of brambles.
58. A great fortune is a great slavery.
59. A great ship asks deep waters.
60. A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
61. A hard nut to crack.
62. A heavy purse makes a light heart.
63. A hedge between keeps friendship green.
64. A honey tongue, a heart of gall.
65. A hungry belly has no ears.
66. A hungry man is an angry man.
67. A Jack of all trades is master of none.
68. A Joke never gains an enemy but often loses a friend.
69. A lawyer never goes to law himself.
70. A lazy sheep thinks its wool heavy.
71. A liar is not believed when he speaks the truth.
72. A lie begets a lie.
73. A light purse is a heavy curse.
74. A light purse makes a heavy heart.
75. A little body often harbours a great soul.
76. A little fire is quickly trodden out.
77. A man can die but once.
78. A man can do no more than he can.
79. A man is known by the company he keeps.
80. A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.
81. A miserly father makes a prodigal son.
82. A miss is as good as a mile.
83. A new broom sweeps clean.
84. A nod from a lord is a breakfast for a fool.
85. A penny saved is a penny gained.
86. A penny soul never came to twopence.
87. A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder.
88. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
89. A round peg in a square hole.
90. A shy cat makes a proud mouse.
91. A silent fool is counted wise.
92. A small leak will sink a great ship.
93. A soft answer turns away wrath.
94. A sound mind in a sound body.
95. A stitch in time saves nine.
96. A storm in a teacup.
97. A tattler is worse than a thief.
98. A thief knows a thief as a wolf knows a wolf.
99. A thief passes for a gentleman when stealing has made him rich.
100. A threatened blow is seldom given.
101. A tree is known by its fruit.
102. A wager is a fool's argument.
103. A watched pot never boils.
104. A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.
105. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
106. A wonder lasts but nine days.
107. A word is enough to the wise.
108. A word spoken is past recalling.
109. Actions speak louder than words.
110. Adversity is a great schoolmaster.
111. Adversity makes strange bedfellows.
112. After a storm comes a calm.
113. After dinner comes the reckoning.
114. After dinner sit (sleep) a while, after supper walk a mile.
115. After rain comes fair weather.
116. After us the deluge.
117. Agues come on horseback, but go away on foot.
118. All are good lasses, but whence come the bad wives?
119. All are not friends that speak us fair.
120. All are not hunters that blow the horn.
121. All are not merry that dance lightly.
122. All are not saints that go to church.
123. All asses wag their ears.
124. All bread is not baked in one oven.
125. All cats are grey in the dark (in the night).
126. All covet, all lose.
127. All doors open to courtesy.
128. All is fish that comes to his net.
129. All is not lost that is in peril.
130. All is well that ends well.
131. All lay load on the willing horse.
132. All men can't be first.
133. All men can't be masters.
134. All promises are either broken or kept.
135. All roads lead to Rome.
136. All sugar and honey.
137. All that glitters is not gold.
138. All things are difficult before they are easy.
139. All truths are not to be told.
140. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
141. "Almost" never killed a fly (was never hanged).
142. Among the blind the one-eyed man is king.
143. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
144. An ass in a lion's skin.
145. An ass is but an ass, though laden with gold.
146. An ass loaded with gold climbs to the top of the castle.
147. An empty hand is no lure for a hawk.
148. An empty sack cannot stand upright.
149. An empty vessel gives a greater sound than a full barrel.
150. An evil chance seldom comes alone.
151. An honest tale speeds best, being plainly told.
152. An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening.
153. An idle brain is the devil's workshop.
154. An ill wound is cured, not an ill name.
155. An oak is not felled at one stroke.
156. An old dog barks not in vain.
157. An open door may tempt a saint.
158. An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of learning.
159. An ox is taken by the horns, and a man by the tongue.
160. An unfortunate man would be drowned in a teacup.
161. Anger and haste hinder good counsel.
162. Any port in a storm.
163. Appearances are deceitful.
164. Appetite comes with eating.
165. As drunk as a lord.
166. As innocent as a babe unborn.
167. As like as an apple to an oyster.
168. As like as two peas.
169. As old as the hills.
170. As plain as the nose on a man's face.
171. As plain as two and two make four.
172. As snug as a bug in a rug .
173. As sure as eggs is eggs.
174. As the call, so the echo.
175. As the fool thinks, so the bell clinks.
176. As the old cock crows, so does the young.
177. As the tree falls, so shall it lie.
178. As the tree, so the fruit.
179. As welcome as flowers in May.
180. As welcome as water in one's shoes.
181. As well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.
182. As you brew, so must you drink.
183. As you make your bed, so must you lie on it.
184. As you sow, so shall you reap.
185. Ask no questions and you will be told no lies.
186. At the ends of the earth.
187. Bacchus has drowned more men than Neptune.
188. Bad news has wings.
189. Barking does seldom bite.
190. Be slow to promise and quick to perform.
191. Be swift to hear, slow to speak.
192. Beauty is but skin-deep.
193. Beauty lies in lover's eyes.
194. Before one can say Jack Robinson.
195. Before you make a friend eat a bushel of salt with him.
196. Beggars cannot be choosers.
197. Believe not all that you see nor half what you hear.
198. Best defence is offence.
199. Better a glorious death than a shameful life.
200. Better a lean peace than a fat victory.
201. Better a little fire to warm us, than a great one to burn us.
202. Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.
203. Better an open enemy than a false friend.
204. Better be alone than in bad company.
205. Better be born lucky than rich.
206. Better be envied than pitied.
207. Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.
208. Better deny at once than promise long.
209. Better die standing than live kneeling.
210. Better early than late.
211. Better give a shilling than lend a half-crown.
212. Better go to bed supperless than rise in debt.
213. Better late than never.
214. Better lose a jest than a friend.
215. Better one-eyed than stone-blind.
216. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
217. Better the foot slip than the tongue.
218. Better to do well than to say well.
219. Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven.
220. Better unborn than untaught.
221. Better untaught than ill-taught.
222. Between the cup and the lip a morsel may slip.
223. Between the devil and the deep (blue) sea.
224. Between two evils 'tis not worth choosing.
225. Between two stools one goes (falls) to the ground.
226. Between the upper and nether millstone.
227. Betwixt and between.
228. Beware of a silent dog and still water.
229. Bind the sack before it be full.
230. Birds of a feather flock together.
231. Blind men can judge no colours.
232. Blood is thicker than water.
233. Borrowed garments never fit well.
234. Brevity is the soul of wit.
235. Burn not your house to rid it of the mouse.
236. Business before pleasure.
237. By doing nothing we learn to do ill.
238. By hook or by crook.
239. By the street of 'by-and-bye' one arrives at the house of 'Never'.
240. Calamity is man's true touchstone.
241. Care killed the cat.
242. Catch the bear before you sell his skin.
243. Caution is the parent of safety.
244. Charity begins at home.
245. Cheapest is the dearest.
246. Cheek brings success.
247. Children and fools must not play with edged tools.
248. Children are poor men's riches.
249. Choose an author as you choose a friend.
250. Christmas comes but once a year, (but when it comes it brings good cheer).
251. Circumstances alter cases.
252. Claw me, and I will claw thee.
253. Cleanliness is next to godliness.
254. Company in distress makes trouble less.
255. Confession is the first step to repentance.
256. Counsel is no command.
257. Creditors have better memories than debtors.
258. Cross the stream where it is shallowest.
259. Crows do not pick crow's eyes.
260. Curiosity killed a cat.
261. Curses like chickens come home to roost.
262. Custom is a second nature.
263. Custom is the plague of wise men and the idol of fools.
264. Cut your coat according to your cloth.
265. Death is the grand leveller.
266. Death pays all debts.
267. Death when it comes will have no denial.
268. Debt is the worst poverty.
269. Deeds, not words.
270. Delays are dangerous.
271. Desperate diseases must have desperate remedies.
272. Diligence is the mother of success (good luck).
273. Diseases are the interests of pleasures.
274. Divide and rule.
275. Do as you would be done by.
276. Dog does not eat dog.
277. Dog eats dog.
278. Dogs that put up many hares kill none.
279. Doing is better than saying.
280. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.
281. Don't cross the bridges before you come to them.
282. Don't have thy cloak to make when it begins to rain.
283. Don't keep a dog and bark yourself.
284. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
285. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
286. Don't sell the bear's skin before you've caught it.
287. Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.
288. Don't whistle (halloo) until you are out of the wood.
289. Dot your i's and cross your t's.
290. Draw not your bow till your arrow is fixed.
291. Drive the nail that will go.
292. Drunken days have all their tomorrow.
293. Drunkenness reveals what soberness conceals.
294. Dumb dogs are dangerous.
295. Each bird loves to hear himself sing.
296. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
297. Easier said than done.
298. East or West � home is best.
299. Easy come, easy go.
300. Eat at pleasure, drink with measure.
301. Empty vessels make the greatest (the most) sound.
302. Enough is as good as a feast.
303. Envy shoots at others and wounds herself.
304. Even reckoning makes long friends.
305. Every ass loves to hear himself bray.
306. Every barber knows that.
307. Every bean has its black.
308. Every bird likes its own nest.
309. Every bullet has its billet.
310. Every country has its customs.
311. Every dark cloud has a silver lining.
312. Every day is not Sunday.
313. Every dog has his day.
314. Every dog is a lion at home.
315. Every dog is valiant at his own door.
316. Every Jack has his Jill.
317. Every man has a fool in his sleeve.
318. Every man has his faults.
319. Every man has his hobby-horse.
320. Every man is the architect of his own fortunes.
321. Every man to his taste.
322. Every miller draws water to his own mill.
323. Every mother thinks her own gosling a swan.
324. Every one's faults are not written in their foreheads.
325. Every tub must stand on its own bottom.
326. Every white has its black, and every sweet its sour.
327. Every why has a wherefore.
328. Everybody's business is nobody's business.
329. Everything comes to him who waits.
330. Everything is good in its season.
331. Evil communications corrupt good manners.
332. Experience is the mother of wisdom.
333. Experience keeps a dear school, but fools learn in no other.
334. Experience keeps no school, she teaches her pupils singly.
335. Extremes meet.
336. Facts are stubborn things.
337. Faint heart never won fair lady.
338. Fair without, foul (false) within.
339. Fair words break no bones.
340. False friends are worse than open enemies.
341. Familiarity breeds contempt.
342. Far from eye, far from heart.
343. Fasting comes after feasting.
344. Faults are thick where love is thin.
345. Feast today and fast tomorrow.
346. Fine feathers make fine birds.
347. Fine words butter no parsnips.
348. First catch your hare.
349. First come, first served.
350. First deserve and then desire.
351. First think, then speak.
352. Fish and company stink in three days.
353. Fish begins to stink at the head.
354. Follow the river and you'll get to the sea.
355. Fool's haste is no speed.
356. Fools and madmen speak the truth.
357. Fools grow without watering.
358. Fools may sometimes speak to the purpose.
359. Fools never know when they are well.
360. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
361. For the love of the game.
362. Forbearance is no acquittance.
363. Forbidden fruit is sweet.
364. Forewarned is forearmed.
365. Fortune favours the brave (the bold).
366. Fortune is easily found, but hard to be kept.
367. Four eyes see more (better) than two.
368. Friends are thieves of time.
369. From bad to worse.
370. From pillar to post.
371. Gentility without ability is worse than plain beggary.
372. Get a name to rise early, and you may lie all day.
373. Gifts from enemies are dangerous.
374. Give a fool rope enough, and he will hang himself.
375. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.
376. Give him an inch and he'll take an ell.
377. Give never the wolf the wether to keep.
378. Gluttony kills more men than the sword.
379. Go to bed with the lamb and rise with the lark.
380. Good clothes open all doors.
381. Good counsel does no harm.
382. Good health is above wealth.
383. Good masters make good servants.
384. Good words and no deeds.
385. Good words without deeds are rushes and reeds.
386. Gossiping and lying go hand in hand.
387. Grasp all, lose all.
388. Great barkers are no biters.
389. Great boast, small roast.
390. Great cry and little wool.
391. Great spenders are bad lenders.
392. Great talkers are great liars.
393. Great talkers are little doers.
394. Greedy folk have long arms.
395. Habit cures habit.
396. Half a loaf is better than no bread.
397. "Hamlet" without the Prince of Denmark.
398. Handsome is that handsome does.
399. Happiness takes no account of time.
400. Happy is he that is happy in his children.
401. Hard words break no bones.
402. Hares may pull dead lions by the beard.
403. Harm watch, harm catch.
404. Haste makes waste.
405. Hasty climbers have sudden falls.
406. Hate not at the first harm.
407. Hatred is blind, as well as love.
408. Hawks will not pick hawks' eyes.
409. He begins to die that quits his desires.
410. He cannot speak well that cannot hold his tongue.
411. He carries fire in one hand and water in the other.
412. He dances well to whom fortune pipes.
413. He gives twice who gives in a trice.
414. He goes long barefoot that waits for dead man's shoes.
415. He is a fool that forgets himself.
416. He is a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs.
417. He is happy that thinks himself so.
418. He is lifeless that is faultless.
419. He is not fit to command others that cannot command himself.
420. He is not laughed at that laughs at himself first.
421. He is not poor that has little, but he that desires much.
422. He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
423. He knows best what good is that has endured evil.
424. He knows how many beans make five.
425. He knows much who knows how to hold his tongue.
426. He laughs best who laughs last.
427. He lives long that lives well.
428. He must needs swim that is held up by the chin.
429. He should have a long spoon that sups with the devil.
430. He smells best that smells of nothing.
431. He that comes first to the hill may sit where he will.
432. He that commits a fault thinks everyone speaks of it.
433. He that does you an i!i turn will never forgive you.
434. He that fears every bush must never go a-birding.
435. He that fears you present wiil hate you absent.
436. He that goes a borrowing, goes a sorrowing.
437. He that goes barefoot must not plant thorns.
438. He that has a full purse never wanted a friend.
439. He that has a great nose thinks everybody is speaking of it.
440. He that has an ill name is half hanged.
441. He that has no children knows not what love is.
442. He that has He head needs no hat.
443. He that has no money needs no purse.
444. He that is born to be hanged shall never be drowned.
445. He that is full of himself is very empty.
446. He that is ill to himself will be good to nobody.
447. He that is warm thinks all so.
448. He that knows nothing doubts nothing.
449. He that lies down with dogs must rise up with fleas.
450. He that lives with cripples learns to limp.
451. He that mischief hatches, mischief catches.
452. He that never climbed never fell.
453. He that once deceives is ever suspected.
454. He that promises too much means nothing.
455. He that respects not is not respected.
456. He that seeks trouble never misses.
457. He that serves everybody is paid by nobody.
458. He that serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages.
459. He that spares the bad injures the good.
460. He that talks much errs much.
461. He that talks much lies much.
462. He that will eat the kernel must crack the nut.
463. He that will not when he may, when he will he shall have nay.
464. He that will steal an egg will steal an ox.
465. He that will thrive, must rise at five.
466. He that would eat the fruit must climb the tree.
467. He that would have eggs must endure the cackling of hens.
468. He who is born a fool is never cured.
469. He who hesitates is lost.
470. He who likes borrowing dislikes paying.
471. He who makes no mistakes, makes nothing.
472. He who pleased everybody died before he was born.
473. He who says what he likes, shall hear what he doesn't like.
474. He who would catch fish must not mind getting wet.
475. He who would eat the nut must first crack the shell.
476. He who would search for pearls must dive below.
477. He will never set the Thames on fire.
478. He works best who knows his trade.
479. Head cook and bottle-washer.
480. Health is not valued till sickness comes.
481. His money burns a hole in his pocket.
482. Honesty is the best policy.
483. Honey is not for the ass's mouth.
484. Honey is sweet, but the bee stings.
485. Honour and profit lie not in one sack.
486. Honours change manners.
487. Hope is a good breakfast, but a bad supper.
488. Hope is the poor man's bread.
489. Hunger breaks stone walls.
490. Hunger finds no fault with cookery.
491. Hunger is the best sauce.
492. Hungry bellies have no ears.
493. Idle folks lack no excuses.
494. Idleness is the mother of all evil.
495. Idleness rusts the mind.
496. If an ass (donkey) bray at you, don't bray at him.
497. If ifs and ans were pots and pans...
498. If my aunt had been a man, she'd have been my uncle.
499. If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
500. If the sky falls, we shall catch larks.
501. If there were no clouds, we should not enjoy the sun.
502. If things were to be done twice all would be wise.
503. If we can't as we would, we must do as we can.
504. If wishes were horses, beggars might ride.
505. If you agree to carry the calf, they'll make you carry the cow.
506. If you cannot bite, never show your teeth.
507. If you cannot have the best, make the best of what you have.
508. If you dance you must pay the fiddler.
509. If you laugh before breakfast you'll cry before supper.
510. If you run after two hares, you will catch neither.
511. If you sell the cow, you sell her milk too.
512. If you throw mud enough, some of it will stick.
513. If you try to please all you will please none.
514. If you want a thing well done, do it yourself.
515. Ill-gotten gains never prosper.
516. Ill-gotten, ill-spent.
517. In every beginning think of the end.
518. In for a penny, in for a pound.
519. In the country of the blind one-eyed man is a king.
520. In the end things will mend.
521. In the evening one may praise the day.
522. Iron hand (fist) in a velvet glove.
523. It is a good horse that never stumbles.
524. It is a long lane that has no turning.
525. It is a poor mouse that has only one hole.
526. It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.
527. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good.
528. It is a silly fish, that is caught twice with the same bait.
529. It is easy to swim if another hoids up your chin (head).
530. It is enough to make a cat laugh.
531. It is good fishing in troubled waters.
532. It is never too late to learn.
533. It is no use crying over spilt milk.
534. It is the first step that costs.
535. It never rains but it pours.
536. It's as broad as it's long.
537. It's no use pumping a dry well.
538. It's one thing to flourish and another to fight.
539. It takes all sorts to make a world.
540. Jackdaw in peacock's feathers.
541. Jest with an ass and he will flap you in the face with his tail.
542. Judge not of men and things at first sight.
543. Just as the twig is bent, the tree is inclined.
544. Keep a thing seven years and you will find a use for it.
545. Keep your mouth shut and your ears open.
546. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open.
547. Last, but not least.
548. Laws catch flies, but let hornets go free.
549. Learn to creep before you leap.
550. Learn to say before you sing.
551. Learn wisdom by the follies of others.
552. Least said, soonest mended.
553. Leaves without figs.
554. Let bygones be bygones.
555. Let every man praise the bridge he goes over.
556. Let sleeping dogs lie.
557. Let well (enough) alone.
558. Liars need good memories.
559. Lies have short legs.
560. Life is but a span.
561. Life is not a bed of roses.
562. Life is not all cakes and ale (beer and skittles).
563. Like a cat on hot bricks.
564. Like a needle in a haystack.
565. Like begets like.
566. Like cures like.
567. Like father, like son.
568. Like draws to like.
569. Like master, like man.
570. Like mother, like daughter.
571. Like parents, like children.
572. Like priest, like people.
573. Like teacher, like pupil.
574. Little chips light great fires.
575. Little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
576. Little pigeons can carry great messages.
577. Little pitchers have long ears.
578. Little strokes fell great oaks.
579. Little thieves are hanged, but great ones escape.
580. Little things amuse little minds.
581. Live and learn.
582. Live and let live.
583. Live not to eat, but eat to live.
584. Long absent, soon forgotten.
585. Look before you leap.
586. Look before you leap, but having leapt never look back.
587. Lookers-on see more than players.
588. Lord (God, Heaven) helps those (them) who help themselves.
589. Lost time is never found again.
590. Love cannot be forced.
591. Love in a cottage.
592. Love is blind, as well as hatred.
593. Love me, love my dog.
594. Love will creep where it may not go.
595. Make haste slowly.
596. Make hay while the sun shines.
597. Make or mar.
598. Man proposes but God disposes.
599. Many a fine dish has nothing on it.
600. Many a good cow has a bad calf.
601. Many a good father has but a bad son.
602. Many a little makes a mickle.
603. Many a true word is spoken in jest.
604. Many hands make light work.
605. Many men, many minds.
606. Many words hurt more than swords.
607. Many words will not fill a bushel.
608. Marriages are made in heaven.
609. Measure for measure.
610. Measure thrice and cut once.
611. Men may meet but mountains never.
612. Mend or end (end or mend).
613. Might goes before right.
614. Misfortunes never come alone (singly).
615. Misfortunes tell us what fortune is.
616. Money begets money.
617. Money has no smell.
618. Money is a good servant but a bad master.
619. Money often unmakes the men who make it.
620. Money spent on the brain is never spent in vain.
621. More haste, less speed.
622. Much ado about nothing.
623. Much will have more.
624. Muck and money go together.
625. Murder will out.
626. My house is my castle.
627. Name not a rope in his house that was hanged.
628. Necessity is the mother of invention.
629. Necessity knows no law.
630. Neck or nothing.
631. Need makes the old wife trot.
632. Needs must when the devil drives.
633. Neither fish nor flesh.
634. Neither here nor there.
635. Neither rhyme nor reason.
636. Never cackle till your egg is laid.
637. Never cast dirt into that fountain of which you have sometime drunk.
638. Never do things by halves.
639. Never fry a fish till it's caught.
640. Never offer to teach fish to swim.
641. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do (can be done) today.
642. Never quit certainty for hope.
643. Never too much of a good thing.
644. Never try to prove what nobody doubts.
645. Never write what you dare not sign.
646. New brooms sweep clean.
647. New lords, new laws.
648. Nightingales will not sing in a cage.
649. No flying from fate.
650. No garden without its weeds.
651. No great loss without some small gain.
652. No herb will cure love.
653. No joy without alloy.
654. No living man all things can.
655. No longer pipe, no longer dance.
656. No man is wise at all times.
657. No man loves his fetters, be they made of gold.
658. No news (is) good news.
659. No pains, no gains.
660. No song, no supper.
661. No sweet without (some) sweat.
662. No wisdom like silence.
663. None but the brave deserve the fair.
664. None so blind as those who won't see.
665. None so deaf as those that won't hear.
666. Nothing comes out of the sack but what was in it.
667. Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
668. Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas.
669. Nothing so bad, as not to be good for something.
670. Nothing succeeds like success.
671. Nothing venture, nothing have.
672. Oaks may fall when reeds stand the storm.
673. Of two evils choose the least.
674. Old birds are not caught with chaff.
675. Old friends and old wine are best.
676. On Shank's mare.
677. Once bitten, twice shy.
678. Once is no rule (custom).
679. One beats the bush, and another catches the bird.
680. One chick keeps a hen busy.
681. One drop of poison infects the whole tun of wine.
682. One fire drives out another.
683. One good turn deserves another.
684. One law for the rich, and another for the poor.
685. One lie makes many.
686. One link broken, the whole chain is broken.
687. One man, no man.
688. One man's meat is another man's poison.
689. One scabby sheep will mar a whole flock.
690. One swallow does not make a summer.
691. One today is worth two tomorrow.
692. Open not your door when the devil knocks.
693. Opinions differ.
694. Opportunity makes the thief.
695. Out of sight, out of mind.
696. Out of the frying-pan into the fire.
697. Packed like herrings.
698. Patience is a plaster for all sores.
699. Penny-wise and pound-foolish.
700. Pleasure has a sting in its tail.
701. Plenty is no plague.
702. Politeness costs little (nothing), but yields much.
703. Poverty is no sin.
704. Poverty is not a shame, but the being ashamed of it is.
705. Practise what you preach.
706. Praise is not pudding.
707. Pride goes before a fall.
708. Procrastination is the thief of time.
709. Promise is debt.
710. Promise little, but do much.
711. Prosperity makes friends, and adversity tries them.
712. Put not your hand between the bark and the tree.
713. Rain at seven, fine at eleven.
714. Rats desert a sinking ship.
715. Repentance is good, but innocence is better.
716. Respect yourself, or no one else will respect you.
717. Roll my log and I will roll yours.
718. Rome was not built in a day.
719. Salt water and absence wash away love.
720. Saying and doing are two things.
721. Score twice before you cut once.
722. Scornful dogs will eat dirty puddings.
723. Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.
724. Self done is soon done.
725. Self done is well done.
726. Self is a bad counsellor.
727. Self-praise is no recommendation.
728. Set a beggar on horseback and he'll ride to the devil.
729. Set a thief to catch a thief.
730. Shallow streams make most din.
731. Short debts (accounts) make long friends.
732. Silence gives consent.
733. Since Adam was a boy.
734. Sink or swim!
735. Six of one and half a dozen of the other.
736. Slow and steady wins the race.
737. Slow but sure.
738. Small rain lays great dust.
739. So many countries, so many customs.
740. So many men, so many minds.
741. Soft fire makes sweet malt.
742. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
743. Soon learnt, soon forgotten.
744. Soon ripe, soon rotten.
745. Speak (talk) of the devil and he will appear (is sure to appear).
746. Speech is silver but silence is gold.
747. Standers-by see more than gamesters.
748. Still waters run deep.
749. Stolen pleasures are sweetest.
750. Stretch your arm no further than your sleeve will reach.
751. Stretch your legs according to the coverlet.
752. Strike while the iron is hot.
753. Stuff today and starve tomorrow.
754. Success is never blamed.
755. Such carpenters, such chips.
756. Sweep before your own door.
757. Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves.
758. Take us as you find us.
759. Tarred with the same brush.
760. Tastes differ.
761. Tell that to the marines.
762. That cock won't fight.
763. That which one least anticipates soonest comes to pass.
764. That's a horse of another colour.
765. That's where the shoe pinches!
766. The beggar may sing before the thief (before a footpad).
767. The best fish smell when they are three days old.
768. The best fish swim near the bottom.
769. The best is oftentimes the enemy of the good.
770. The busiest man finds the most leisure.
771. The camel going to seek horns lost his ears.
772. The cap fits.
773. The cask savours of the first fill.
774. The cat shuts its eyes when stealing cream.
775. The cat would eat fish and would not wet her paws.
776. The chain is no stronger than its weakest link.
777. The cobbler should stick to his last.
778. The cobbler's wife is the worst shod.
779. The darkest hour is that before the dawn.
780. The darkest place is under the candlestick.
781. The devil is not so black as he is painted.
782. The devil knows many things because he is old.
783. The devil lurks behind the cross.
784. The devil rebuking sin.
785. The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.
786. The Dutch have taken Holland!
787. The early bird catches the worm.
788. The end crowns the work.
789. The end justifies the means.
790. The evils we bring on ourselves are hardest to bear.
791. The exception proves the rule.
792. The face is the index of the mind.
793. The falling out of lovers is the renewing of love.
794. The fat is in the fire.
795. The first blow is half the battle.
796. The furthest way about is the nearest way home.
797. The game is not worth the candle.
798. The heart that once truly loves never forgets.
799. The higher the ape goes, the more he shows his tail.
800. The last drop makes the cup run over.
801. The last straw breaks the camel's back.
802. The leopard cannot change its spots.
803. The longest day has an end.
804. The mill cannot grind with the water that is past.
805. The moon does not heed the barking of dogs.
806. The more haste, the less speed.
807. The more the merrier.
808. The morning sun never lasts a day.
809. The mountain has brought forth a mouse.
810. The nearer the bone, the sweeter the flesh.
811. The pitcher goes often to the well but is broken at last.
812. The pot calls the kettle black.
813. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
814. The receiver is as bad as the thief.
815. The remedy is worse than the disease.
816. The rotten apple injures its neighbours.
817. The scalded dog fears cold water.
818. The tailor makes the man.
819. The tongue of idle persons is never idle.
820. The voice of one man is the voice of no one.
821. The way (the road) to hell is paved with good intentions.
822. The wind cannot be caught in a net.
823. The work shows the workman.
824. There are lees to every wine.
825. There are more ways to the wood than one.
826. There is a place for everything, and everything in its place.
827. There is more than one way to kill a cat.
828. There is no fire without smoke.
829. There is no place like home.
830. There is no rose without a thorn.
831. There is no rule without an exception.
832. There is no smoke without fire.
833. There's many a slip 'tween (== between) the cup and the lip.
834. There's no use crying over spilt milk.
835. They are hand and glove.
836. They must hunger in winter that will not work in summer.
837. Things past cannot be recalled.
838. Think today and speak tomorrow.
839. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
840. Time and tide wait for no man.
841. Time cures all things.
842. Time is money.
843. Time is the great healer.
844. Time works wonders.
845. To add fuel (oil) to the fire (flames).
846. To angle with a silver hook.
847. To be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth.
848. To be head over ears in debt.
849. To be in one's birthday suit.
850. To be up to the ears in love.
851. To be wise behind the hand.
852. To beat about the bush.
853. To beat the air.
854. To bring grist to somebody's mill.
855. To build a fire under oneself.
856. To buy a pig in a poke.
857. To call a spade a spade.
858. To call off the dogs.
859. To carry coals to Newcastle.
860. To cast pearls before swine.
861. To cast prudence to the winds.
862. To come away none the wiser.
863. To come off cheap.
864. To come off with a whole skin.
865. To come off with flying colours.
866. To come out dry.
867. To come out with clean hands.
868. To cook a hare before catching him.
869. To cry with one eye and laugh with the other.
870. To cut one's throat with a feather.
871. To draw (pull) in one's horns.
872. To drop a bucket into an empty well.
873. To draw water in a sieve.
874. To eat the calf in the cow's belly.
875. To err is human.
876. To fiddle while Rome is burning.
877. To fight with one's own shadow.
878. To find a mare's nest.
879. To fish in troubled waters.
880. To fit like a glove.
881. To flog a dead horse.
882. To get out of bed on the wrong side.
883. To give a lark to catch a kite.
884. To go for wool and come home shorn.
885. To go through fire and water (through thick and thin).
886. To have a finger in the pie.
887. To have rats in the attic.
888. To hit the nail on the head.
889. To kick against the pricks.
890. To kill two birds with one stone.
891. To know everything is to know nothing.
892. To know on which side one's bread is buttered.
893. To know what's what.
894. To lay by for a rainy day.
895. To live from hand to mouth.
896. To lock the stable-door after the horse is stolen.
897. To look for a needle in a haystack.
898. To love somebody (something) as the devil loves holy water.
899. To make a mountain out of a molehill.
900. To make both ends meet.
901. To make the cup run over.
902. To make (to turn) the air blue.
903. To measure another man's foot by one's own last.
904. To measure other people's corn by one's own bushel.
905. To pay one back in one's own coin.
906. To plough the sand.
907. To pour water into a sieve.
908. To pull the chestnuts out of the fire for somebody.
909. To pull the devil by the tail.
910. To put a spoke in somebody's wheel.
911. To put off till Doomsday.
912. To put (set) the cart before the horse.
913. To rob one's belly to cover one's back.
914. To roll in money.
915. To run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.
916. To save one's bacon.
917. To send (carry) owls to Athens.
918. To set the wolf to keep the sheep.
919. To stick to somebody like a leech.
920. To strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.
921. To take counsel of one's pillow.
922. To take the bull by the horns.
923. To teach the dog to bark.
924. To tell tales out of school.
925. To throw a stone in one's own garden.
926. To throw dust in somebody's eyes.
927. To throw straws against the wind.
928. To treat somebody with a dose of his own medicine.
929. To use a steam-hammer to crack nuts.
930. To wash one's dirty linen in public.
931. To wear one's heart upon one's sleeve.
932. To weep over an onion.
933. To work with the left hand.
934. Tomorrow come never.
935. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
936. Too much knowledge makes the head bald.
937. Too much of a good thing is good for nothing.
938. Too much water drowned the miller .
939. Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.
940. True blue will never stain.
941. True coral needs no painter's brush.
942. Truth comes out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.
943. Truth is stranger than fiction.
944. Truth lies at the bottom of a well.
945. Two blacks do not make a white.
946. Two heads are better than one.
947. Two is company, but three is none.
948. Velvet paws hide sharp claws.
949. Virtue is its own reward.
950. Wait for the cat to jump.
951. Walls have ears.
952. Wash your dirty linen at home.
953. Waste not, want not.
954. We know not what is good until we have lost it.
955. We never know the value of water till the well is dry.
956. We shall see what we shall see.
957. We soon believe what we desire.
958. Wealth is nothing without health.
959. Well begun is half done.
960. What can't be cured, must be endured.
961. What is bred in the bone will not go out of the flesh.
962. What is done by night appears by day.
963. What is done cannot be undone.
964. What is got over the devil's back is spent under his belly.
965. What is lost is lost.
966. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
967. What is worth doing at alt is worth doing well.
968. What must be, must be.
969. What the heart thinks the tongue speaks.
970. What we do willingly is easy.
971. When angry, count a hundred.
972. When at Rome, do as the Romans do.
973. When children stand quiet, they have done some harm.
974. When flatterers meet, the devil goes to dinner.
975. When guns speak it is too late to argue.
976. When pigs fly.
977. When Queen Anne was alive.
978. When the cat is away, the mice will play.
979. When the devil is blind.
980. When the fox preaches, take care of your geese.
981. When the pinch comes, you remember the old shoe.
982. When three know it, alt know it.
983. When wine is in wit is out.
984. Where there's a will, there's a way.
985. While the grass grows the horse starves.
986. While there is life there is hope.
987. Who breaks, pays.
988. Who has never tasted bitter, knows not what is sweet.
989. Who keeps company with the wolf, will learn to howl.
990. Wise after the event.
991. With time and patience the leaf of the mulberry becomes satin.
992. Words pay no debts.
993. You can take a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink.
994. You cannot eat your cake and have it.
995. You cannot flay the same ox twice.
996. You cannot judge a tree by it bark.
997. You cannot teach old dogs new tricks.
998. You cannot wash charcoal white.
999. You made your bed, now lie in it.
1000. Zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse.