Advice is least heeded when most needed

When a problem is serious, people often do not follow the advice given.

Actions speak louder than words

Accidents will happen

Horses for courses

Why have a dog and bark yourself?

lf you pay peanuts, you get monkeys

Let's cross that bridge when we come to it

Definitions:
CD: an expression that means you will not worry about a possible future problem but will deal with it if it happens

Examples:
- A: "Do you know if that road is still closed?"
  B: "No, so I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it." The job interview is a week away, so I'm not worried about it yet—I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
- Alan: Where will we stop tonight?
  Jane: At the next town.
  Alan: What if all the hotels are full?
  Jane: Let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

If you fly with the crows, you get shot with the crows

Definitions:
WK: Somebody who spends time with undesirable people will be regarded as one of them.
UE: If you wish to be associated with a particular high risk and/or high profile situation and benefit from the rewards of that association, you have to accept the consequences if things go wrong - you cannot dissociate yourself.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Definitions:
CD: You have to take a risk in order to get something good.
MW: used to say that it is worth trying to do something because one might succeed even though success is not certain
WK: If one takes no risks, one will not gain any benefits.

Examples:
- Go on, apply for the job. You know what they say — nothing ventured, nothing gained.
- Bill: Should I ask my boss for a promotion?
  Jane: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I think I'll audition for a part in that play. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
- A: "I'm thinking of asking my bosses for a raise, but I'm a little bit nervous."
  B: "Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained." It was a bit of a shot in the dark taking a job in a different country, but nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Engage brain before mouth

Definitions:
Think about something before saying anything about it. 

Examples:
- You shouldn't have told Mark about our argument. Next time engage brain before mouth.
- Do you ever bother to engage your brain before you open your mouth, Sergeant?
- Make sure the brain is engaged before putting the mouth in gear.
- The guy engages his mouth before his brain sometimes.

One man's meat is another man's poison

Definitions:
CD: said to emphasize that people like different things
UD: What one prefers may be not what the others would prefer.
WD: People have differing tastes; what pleases one person may displease another.

Examples:
- Natasha says that whenever Kayla eats pies, she describes it as ' one man's meat is another man's poison.'

Once bitten, twice shy

Definitions:
CD: said when you are frightened to do something again because you had an unpleasant experience doing it the first time
CL: to indicate that someone will not do something a second time because they had a bad experience the first time they did it.
UD: orignally to dog bites, now means that once somebody has gotten hurt or had something go wrong will be afraid to try it again (especially in love). If you fall in love with someone and that someone rejects or hurts you-once bitten-you may be very, very reluctant-twice shy-to let yourself fall in love again.
MW: used to mean that a person who has failed or been hurt when trying to do something is careful or fearful about doing it again
MD: used for saying that someone will be careful about doing something again, or will be unwilling to do it again because they failed or were hurt the first time they did it

Examples:
- Elle was once bitten twice shy since her last relationship.

Make a mountain out of a molehill

Definitions:
CD: to make a slight difficulty seem like a serious problem
WD: To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.
MM: to treat a minor problem as if it were a very serious problem
UD: To exaggerate, to interpret a specific situation as being worse than it really is.
CL: to exaggerate an unimportant matter out of all proportion

Examples:
- You're making a mountain out of a molehill. You wrote one bad essay - it doesn't mean you're going to fail.
- If you’re stuck in traffic, try not to make a mountain out of a molehill worrying about it too much. It could be much worse.
- You don't have to be that worried about this simple situation, don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

Ignorance is bliss

Definitions:
CD: said to emphasize that sometimes it is better for you if you do not know all the facts about a situation
WD: Lack of knowledge results in happiness; it is more comfortable not to know certain things.
UD:
1. The lack of knowlege to a situation. Usually once the whole truth is revealed you realize you were happier being clueless.
2. It is a term used to falsely justify apathy on the given subject in the form of a catchy cliche. A prevalent saying of the people in North America when confronted by the truth.

Examples:
- Me: Did you know that fluoride causes bone brittleness and dental fluorosis?
  You: Meh, ignorance is bliss. *swallows the toothpaste*
- Sherry was very happy with her boyfriend.. until she was informed he was cheating on her. She thought to herself "ignorance is bliss", and broke up with him.
- Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.

The early bird catches the worm

Definitions:
CD: said to advise someone that they will have an advantage if they do something immediately or before anyone else does it.
CL: If you say that the early bird catches the worm, you mean that the person who arrives first in a place is most likely to get what they want.
WT: Whoever arrives first has the best chance of success; some opportunities are only available to the first competitors.

Examples:
During the sales, the shops open at 7am, and the early bird catches the worm.

Rome was not built in a day

Definitions:
CD: said to emphasize that you cannot expect to do important things in a short period of time.
UD: Important work takes time. This expression functions as an injunction or plea for someone to be patient.
WT: It takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.

Examples:
You can't expect her to finish this project in the time allotted; Rome wasn't built in a day.