A cat loves fish, but she's loth to wet her feet.
Meaning: Desire for something doesn't overcome reluctance to pay its necessary cost or risk.
Origin: A medieval proverb, known in Latin as catus amat piscem, sed non vult tingere plantas; John Heywood's collection has the cat that would eat fish and would not wet her feet. Shakespeare alludes to it in Macbeth, where Lady Macbeth taunts her hesitant husband as "like the poor cat i' the adage."
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Children and fools have merry lives. — Ignorance of life's burdens allows the young and simple-minded to experience uncomplicate…
- Children and chickens must be always picking. — Constant activity and foraging—whether physical or mental—keeps the young healthy, alert,…
- Children are certain cares, but very uncertain comforts. — Parenting demands unwavering responsibility while offspring's gratitude and success remai…
- Children suck the mother when they are young, and the father when they are old. — Offspring depend on maternal care initially, then seek paternal resources and guidance as…
- It's not the gay coat that makes the gentleman. — Fine clothing cannot manufacture character; true gentility emerges from conduct and virtu…
- Who goes worse shod than the cobbler's wife? — A craftsman's family often lacks what he could provide, neglecting loved ones while servi…
From our tongue twisters
- 吃葡萄不吐葡萄皮，不吃葡萄倒吐葡萄皮。(Chī pútao bù tǔ pútao pí, bù chī pútao dào tǔ pútao pí.) — A 'pú/tǔ/pí' drill with reversing logic — the negations flip the meaning as the tongue tr…
- 黑化肥发黑会挥发；灰化肥发灰会挥发。(Hēihuàféi fā hēi huì huīfā; huīhuàféi fā huī huì huīfā.) — A 'hēi/huī/huì/fā' four-tone minefield — the tones alone change every meaning.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. — A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.