Gentility without ability is worse than plain beggary.
Meaning: Social pretense without competence breeds contempt; honest poverty deserves more respect than incompetent arrogance.
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
- Gentle strokes make the sweetest harmony. — Soft, patient efforts create more pleasing results than forceful or aggressive approaches…
- A gift with a kind countenance is a double gift. — Generosity paired with warmth of expression multiplies its emotional value beyond the mat…
- He giveth twice who gives in a trice. — Quick generosity prevents the recipient's anxiety and disappointment, making one gift fee…
- Men strain at gnats, and swallow camels! — Obsessing over trivial faults while tolerating serious wrongs reveals misplaced moral pri…
- Better go about than fall into the ditch. — Taking an indirect, longer route safely beats risking catastrophe through the shortest pa…
- Gold goes in at any gate, except Heaven's. — Wealth opens worldly doors but cannot purchase spiritual salvation or divine favor.
From our tongue twisters
- Pecyn o bersli heb ei brisio, prisio'r persli heb ei becynnu. — A 'p/b/pr/br' mutation drill — Welsh initial consonant mutations mean the same root sound…
- Capra neagră sare piatra, piatra-i neagră, capra-i albă. — A rapid 'c/pr/n' alternation that gains speed — and the colour-swap at the end trips the…
- Μια πάπια μα ποια πάπια; μια πάπια με παπιά στα παγωμένα νερά. (Mia papia ma pia papia; mia papia me papia sta pagomena nera.) — A 'pa/pi/pag' drill — the near-identical syllables pile up while the image stays perfectl…