A good word is as soon said as an ill one.
Meaning: Kindness costs no more effort than cruelty, so choose generosity without hesitation or excuse.
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 Communication
- He's a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs. — True friendship reveals itself in loyalty when no personal gain or flattery is possible.
- We shall lie all alike in our graves. — Death's finality erases all earthly distinctions of wealth, status, and achievement betwe…
- "Hardly ever" saves many a lie. — Silence prevents false claims by avoiding the need to explain or justify hasty words.
- What the heart thinketh, the tongue speaketh. — Unguarded speech reveals our true thoughts and character; we cannot conceal our inner nat…
- Many a true word is spoken in jest. — Humor provides cover for uncomfortable truths that people avoid stating seriously.
- Judge not a ship as she lies on the stocks. — Don't evaluate a vessel's true worth until it's launched and tested at sea.
From our untranslatable words
- Ressourcement — The act of returning to one's roots or origins to find renewal — going back to a place, t…
- Pochemuchka — A person — usually a child — who asks an endless stream of questions, one 'why?' after an…
- Razliubit — To fall out of love — the process of ceasing to love someone you once loved, leaving behi…