Many a true word is spoken in jest.

Meaning: Humor provides cover for uncomfortable truths that people avoid stating seriously.

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

More proverbs about Communication

• Judge not a ship as she lies on the stocks. — Don't evaluate a vessel's true worth until it's launched and tested at sea.
• He tied a knot with his tongue he couldn't undo with his teeth. — Careless words spoken in haste create consequences far harder to retract than they were t…
• Laws catch flies, but let hornets go free. — Powerful people evade justice through legal loopholes while the powerless are punished fo…
• He lies as fast as a dog can trot. — Persistent deceit flows so naturally that the liar never pauses or hesitates in their fal…
• Life lies not in living, but in liking. — Contentment and satisfaction matter more than mere existence or the accumulation of exper…
• Listeners never hear good of themselves. — Eavesdroppers discover harsh truths because people speak candidly when unobserved, unlike…

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