“A stitch in time saves nine.”
A stitch in time saves nine.
Source: Traditional English proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in Gnomologia (1732)
Traditional United Kingdom Wisdom
Folk & Oral Tradition
Who is Traditional United Kingdom Wisdom?
Traditional United Kingdom Wisdom gathers the proverbs and sayings that have been passed down orally across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland for many generations. These lines have no single named author; they are the shared inheritance of farmers, sailors, craftspeople, and families who compressed hard-won experience into a few memorable words. British proverbs often draw on weather, farming, the sea, and everyday domestic life, and they teach prudence, diligence, patience, and caution. Many were first gathered into print by early collectors such as John Heywood, whose 1546 A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes recorded hundreds of common sayings, and John Ray, whose 1670 A Collection of English Proverbs preserved the spoken wisdom of his day. Some phrases trace back further, to Aesop, the Bible, or classical authors, before entering common English speech. Because they live in everyday language rather than a fixed source, small variations exist between regions and retellings. This platform records the widely recognised forms and, in keeping with its accuracy rule, presents them as traditional rather than attributing them to any one person.
Sources: John Heywood, A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes, 1546 · John Ray, A Collection of English Proverbs, 1670
Quotes by Traditional United Kingdom Wisdom
“Don't count your chickens before they hatch.”
Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Source: Traditional English proverb, rooted in Aesop's fables; English form popularized 16th century
“The early bird catches the worm.”
The early bird catches the worm.
Source: Traditional English proverb, recorded in John Ray's A Collection of English Proverbs (1670)
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“Too many cooks spoil the broth.”
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Source: Traditional English proverb, recorded in the 16th century
“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
Every cloud has a silver lining.
Source: English proverb derived from John Milton's Comus (1634), which coined the phrase 'silver lining'
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Source: Traditional English proverb, long attested in English usage
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“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Source: Traditional English proverb, recorded in John Ray's A Collection of English Proverbs (1670)
“Make hay while the sun shines.”
Make hay while the sun shines.
Source: Traditional English proverb, recorded in John Heywood's A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes (1546)
“Actions speak louder than words.”
Actions speak louder than words.
Source: English proverb, attested in this form from the 17th century
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“You can't have your cake and eat it too.”
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Source: Traditional English proverb, recorded in John Heywood's A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes (1546)