A rose by any other name would smell as sweet

Meaning: The essence of something doesn't depend on what it's called.

Origin: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1597).

Translations

• French: Une rose sous un autre nom sentirait toujours aussi bon (literally: A rose under another name would still smell as good)
• Spanish: Una rosa con otro nombre olería igual de dulce (literally: A rose with another name would smell just as sweet)
• Japanese: 名は体を表さず (Na wa tai wo arawasazu) (literally: A name does not always reflect the essence)

More proverbs about Wisdom

• Kill two birds with one stone — Accomplish two tasks with a single action.
• Don't bite off more than you can chew — Don't take on more than you can handle.
• Every rose has its thorn — Even the best things have their drawbacks.
• All's well that ends well — A good outcome justifies the difficulties along the way.
• A rolling stone gathers no moss — Those who keep moving avoid stagnation (or commitments).
• Don't burn your bridges — Don't destroy relationships you might need later.

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…