A black plum is as sweet as a white.
Meaning: Outward appearance reveals nothing about inner quality or worth.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- You cannot get blood out of a stone. — Demanding resources from those who lack them is futile; necessity cannot extract what doe…
- Tis a blot on his escutcheon. — A single shameful act permanently mars a person's reputation and family honor, like a sta…
- He who blusters without reason has most reason to bluster. — Empty boasting reveals deep insecurity; the loudest voices often mask the weakest positio…
- I have a bone in my arm. — Claiming disability to avoid work reveals one's character through convenient excuses.
- The nearer the bone the sweeter the meat. — Proximity to difficulty yields greatest reward; best results come from reaching hardest d…
- They that are bound must obey. — Captive people have no choice but to submit to their captor's will and commands.
From our idioms
- Трла баба лан (Trla baba lan) — Pointless busywork done just to pass the time.
- Гладна мечка хоро не играе (Gladna mechka horo ne igrae) — Nothing gets done on an empty stomach.
- Бели кахъри (Beli kahŭri) — Trivial, almost pleasant things to fret over.