If wishes were thrushes, beggars would eat birds.

Meaning: Unfulfilled desires hold no nutritional value; wishing alone cannot satisfy genuine needs or poverty.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Wisdom

• If wishes were butter-cakes, beggars would bite. — Lacking resources forces people to accept reality rather than indulge in fantasies about…
• Wit is the lightning of the mind. — Sudden brilliance illuminates truth instantly, but like lightning, its flash vanishes qui…
• You may truss up all his wit in an egg-shell. — Wit confined to theoretical cleverness without practical application remains insignifican…
• Wit may be bought too dear. — Cleverness obtained through deception, betrayal, or moral compromise exacts a hidden cost…
• He that lives upon his wits, breaks for want of stock. — A person relying solely on cleverness without resources or preparation will eventually fa…
• Wolves lose their teeth, but not their memory. — Even when weakened by age, enemies retain grudges and cunning, remaining dangerous throug…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…