ProverbCommunication
Polish origin
Polish originCicha woda brzegi rwie
Meaning: Quiet people can be surprisingly forceful.
Literally: Quiet water tears at its banks
Example: “Wydawał się nieśmiały, a teraz kieruje całym zespołem. Cicha woda brzegi rwie.” — He seemed shy, and now he runs the whole team: still waters run deep.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 3 more languages
English: Still waters run deep
French: Il n'est pire eau que l'eau qui dort (literally: There is no worse water than sleeping water)
Spanish: Del agua mansa líbreme Dios (literally: God save me from still water)
Japanese: 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (Nō aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu) (literally: A talented hawk hides its talons)
German: Stille Wasser sind tief (literally: Still waters are deep)
Italian: Acqua cheta rompe i ponti (literally: Still water breaks bridges)
Dutch: Stille waters hebben diepe gronden (literally: Still waters have deep bottoms)
Russian: В тихом омуте черти водятся (V tikhom omute cherti vodyatsya) (literally: Devils live in a still pool)
Origin: A calm river still eats away at its banks.
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