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Home  »  Dictionary of Quotations  »  Dutch Proverb

James Wood, comp. Dictionary of Quotations. 1899.

Dutch Proverb

A smart coat is a good letter of introduction.

A wreck on shore is a beacon at sea.

“Bad company,” muttered the thief, as he stepped to the gallows between the hangman and a monk.

Behind every mountain lies a vale.

Beter eens in den hemel dan tienmaal aan de deur—Better once in heaven than ten times at the door.

Bloemen zijn geen vruchten—Blossoms are not fruits.

Boomen die men veel verplant gedijen zelden—Trees you transplant often, seldom thrive.

Clothes make the man.

Daar ’t een mensch wee doet, daar heeft hij de hand—A man lays his hand where he feels the pain.

Daar niets goeds in is, gaat niets goeds uit—Where no good is in, no good comes out.

Daar twee kijven hebben ze beiden schuld—When two quarrel both are to blame.

Daar zijn meer dieven als er opgehangen worden—There are more thieves than are hanged.

De adel der ziel is meer waardig dan de adel des geslachts—Nobility of soul is more honourable than nobility by birth.

De beste zaak heeft nog een goed’ advocaat noodig—The best cause has need of a good pleader.

De ezels dragen de haver, en de paarden eten die—Asses fetch the oats and horses eat them.

De kleine dieven hangt men, de groote laat men loopen—We hang little thieves and let great ones off.

De tijd is aan God en ons—Time is God’s and ours.

De waarheid is eene dochter van den tijd—Truth is a daughter of Time.

De wereld wil betrogen zijn—The world likes to be deceived.

Die de wereld wel beziet, men zag nooit schoonder niet—Whoso considers the world well must allow he has never seen a better.

Die een ander jaagt zit zelfs niet stil—He who chases another does not sit still himself.

Die het in het vuur verloren heeft, moet het in de asch zoeken—What is lost in the fire must be searched for in the ashes.

Die te veel onderneemt slaagt zelden—He who undertakes too much seldom succeeds.

Die veel dienstboden heeft, die heeft veel dieven—He who has many servants has many thieves.

Dochters zijn broze waren—Daughters are fragile ware.

Don’t throw away the old shoes till you’ve got new ones.

Dreigers vechten niet—Those who threaten don’t fight.

Een diamant van eene dochter wordt een glas van eene vrouw—A diamond of a daughter becomes a glass of a wife.

Een dief maakt gelegenheid—A thief makes opportunity.

Een hond aan een been kent geene vrienden—A dog with a bone knows no friends.

Een kleine pot wordt haast heet—A little pot becomes soon hot.

Een once geduld is meer dan een pond verstand—One ounce of patience is worth more than a pound of brains.

Eenmaal is geen gewoonte—Once is no custom.

Elk het zijne is niet te veel—Every one his own is not too much.

Every flood has its ebb.

Every one is a preacher under the gallows.

Every shot does not bring down a bird.

Fools learn nothing from wise men, but wise men much from fools.

Forced love does not last.

From small beginnings come great things.

Gebrade duijven vliegen niet door de lucht—Roasted pigeons don’t fly through the air.

Gedult gaat boven geleerdheid—Patience excels learning.

Gedwongen liefde vergaat haast—Love that is forced does not last.

Geese are plucked as long as they have any feathers.

Geld beheert de wereld. Money rules the world.

Gemeen goed, geen goed—Common goods, no goods.

Gierigheid is niet verzadigd voor zij den mond vol aarde heeft—Greed is never satisfied till its mouth is filled with earth.

Give an ass oats, and it runs after thistles.

God does not pay every week, but He pays at the end.

God gives birds their food, but they must fly for it.

Gods water over Gods akker laten loopen—Let God’s waters run over God’s fields.

Goed verloren, niet verloren: moed verloren, veel verloren; eer verloren, meer verloren; ziel verloren, al verloren—Money lost, nothing lost; courage lost, much lost; honour lost, more lost; soul lost, all lost.

Gold beheert de wereld—Gold rules the world.

Good hunters track closely.

Good leading makes good following.

Good right needs good help.

Good things take time.

Good wine is its own recommendation.

Great fools have great bells.

Great wealth, great care.

Guessing is missing (the point).

He cannot lay eggs, but he can cackle.

He must be a good shot who always hits the mark.

He that can be patient has his foe at his feet.

He that finds something before it is lost will die before he falls ill.

He that has to choose has trouble.

He that is embarked with the devil must sail with him.

He who serves the public serves a fickle master.

He who would gather honey must brave the sting of the bees.

He who would gather roses must not fear thorns.

If you pull one pig by the tail, all the rest will squeak.

Ill begun, ill done.

In prosperity caution, in adversity patience.

In the division of the inheritance, friendship standeth still.

In the land of promise a man may die of hunger.

Jong rijs is te buigen, maar geen oude boomen—Young twigs will bend, but not old trees.

Jonge lui, domme lui; oude lui, koude lui—Young folk, silly folk; old folk, cold folk.

Klein gewin brengt rijkdom in—Small gains bring riches in.

Let every one look to himself, and no one will be lost.

Little thieves have iron chains and great thieves gold ones.

Man kan geen loopend paard beslaan—One cannot shoe a running-horse.

No bird ever flew so high but it had to come to the ground for food.

No corn without chaff.

Nothing in haste save catching fleas.

Of hasty counsel take good heed, for very rarely haste is speed.

One can’t shoe a runaway horse.

Opportunity makes desire.

Paint costs nothing.

Poor folk’s wisdom goes for little.

Poverty is the reward of idleness.

Promises make debts, and debts make promises.

Proverbs are the daughters of daily experience.

Put not all your eggs in one basket.

Roses fall, but the thorns remain.

Schuim is geen bier—Froth is no beer.

Sooner or later the truth comes to light.

The rich devour the poor, the devil the rich, and so both are devoured.

There are no better masters than poverty and want.

Thistles and thorns prick sore, but evil tongues prick more.

Who watches not catches not.

Young folk, silly folk; old folk, cold folk.