An ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of clergy.
Meaning: Native intelligence and common sense accomplish more than formal education or scholarly knowledge alone.
Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Much is expected where much is given. — Those blessed with greater resources, talents, or advantages bear proportional responsibi…
- Much would have more, and lost all. — Greed for additional wealth risks losing what one already possesses through reckless over…
- Where music is no harm can be. — Harmony and artistic expression create spaces where malice and cruelty cannot take root.
- When a musician hath forgot his note, he makes as though a crumb stuck in his throat. — A performer caught in error masks the mistake with deliberate distraction rather than adm…
- It's no use looking for musk in a dog's kennel. — Seeking valuable qualities in fundamentally unsuitable places wastes effort and guarantee…
- They are as mute as fishes. — Silence, whether enforced or chosen, leaves no trace of knowledge, intention, or presence…
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