A man may buy gold too dear.

Meaning: Excessive price paid for something, however valuable, can make the acquisition a poor bargain overall.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

Translations

French: On peut payer l’or trop cher (literally: One may buy gold too dear)

We must not look for a golden life in an iron age. — Expecting luxury and ease during harsh times courts disappointment; adapt aspirations to…
Wise men learn by others' harms, fools by their own. — Observing consequences that befall others provides instruction without requiring personal…
Man is the head, but woman turns it. — Women's subtle influence often guides decisions that men believe they make independently.
A man is not so soon healed as hurt. — Wounds to body and spirit require far longer to mend than the swift moment of their infli…
Hearts may agree though heads differ. — Emotional alignment and shared values matter more than intellectual disagreement in susta…
Love and a cough cannot be hid. — Genuine affection, like illness, inevitably reveals itself through visible signs despite…

Loading the full interactive collection…