Good words fill not a sack.
Meaning: Eloquent speech alone cannot sustain you; you need material provisions and practical action to survive.
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 Communication
- Many words will not fill a bushel. — Excessive talk produces nothing tangible; abundance of speech cannot substitute for concr…
- Soft words hurt not the mouth. — Gentle speech costs nothing to speak and risks no harm through careless words.
- Wounds may heal, but not those made by ill words. — Physical injuries fade while harsh speech leaves permanent emotional scars impossible to…
- Say no ill of the year till it is passed. — Withhold judgment on circumstances until their full course concludes, as premature critic…
- Believe well and have well. — Right conduct and virtuous living naturally produce good outcomes and contentment in life.
- Drunken folk often speak truth. — Intoxication dissolves social filters, allowing suppressed honesty to surface uncensored.
From our compliments & insults
- Es un/una pesado/a — A dreadful bore — their company feels like carrying extra weight.
- Más terco/a que una mula — Hopelessly obstinate — no argument, fact, or force of nature will shift their position.
- Pareces un pulpo en un garaje — You're completely out of place — flailing around uselessly in an environment that makes n…