It's a bad cause that none dare speak in.
Meaning: Silence around a cause signals its moral weakness or indefensibility, not its strength.
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
- Children and fools speak the truth. — Unguarded honesty emerges from those lacking social filters or awareness of consequences.
- Children should hear, see, and say nothing. — Children benefit from observing and learning quietly before contributing their own opinio…
- They talk of Christmas so long that it comes. — Repeated anticipation and discussion of an event eventually brings its arrival into reali…
- Civil words cost nothing, and go a long way. — Courtesy requires no expense yet yields disproportionate social rewards and influence.
- A close mouth catcheth no flies. — Silence protects you from inadvertently spreading rumors, revealing secrets, or inviting…
- Tell that tale to a deaf man. — Wasting effort communicating with someone unwilling or unable to listen yields nothing.
From our compliments & insults
- Du bist klasse — You're brilliant — excellent, impressive, top-notch.
- 気が利く (ki ga kiku) — You're perceptive and considerately thoughtful — you notice what people need before they…
- できる人 (dekiru hito) — Said of someone highly capable and impressive — the kind of person who makes things happe…