At a great bargain make a great pause.
Meaning: Suspiciously good deals warrant careful consideration before committing, as hidden costs or deceptions often accompany unusually favorable terms.
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 Wisdom
- The greatest barkers are not always the sorest biters. — Loud boasting and threats rarely indicate genuine power or danger; true strength often ac…
- Sir John Barleycorn is the strongest knight. — Alcohol's intoxicating power surpasses physical strength, making it formidably dangerous…
- You cannot know wine by the barrel. — Judging quality requires direct tasting, not trusting containers or external appearances.
- Sow beans in the mud, they'll grow like wood. — Planting seeds in unpromising conditions—poor soil, hardship—produces unexpectedly sturdy…
- Beans should blow before May doth go. — Beanflowers must bloom early in May or the crop will fail to mature before frost arrives.
- Tis easy to find a staff to beat a dog. — Finding excuses to punish someone you already dislike requires no effort or genuine justi…
From our tongue twisters
- Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. — The German 'f' / 'sch' staple.
- Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa. — A beloved 'c' / 'p' rhythm trap.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? — A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.