More have been drowned in wine than water.
Meaning: Excessive indulgence in pleasure proves more destructive than hardship or deprivation ever could.
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
- When wine is in, wit is out. — Alcohol impairs judgment and rational thinking, leaving only foolishness in its place.
- Winter finds out what summer lays up. — Hardship reveals whether you prepared wisely during abundant times.
- By wisdom peace, by peace plenty. — Wise decisions prevent conflict, allowing communities to prosper through stable condition…
- Wisdom rides upon the ruins of folly. — Only through repeated mistakes and their costly consequences do we finally develop genuin…
- Wise men care not for what they cannot have. — The truly wise accept their limitations and redirect energy toward achievable goals rathe…
- If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. — Wishing alone accomplishes nothing; only action and resources transform desire into reali…
From our idioms
- have time on one's hands — To have free time with nothing to do.
- have time to kill — To have a period of time to pass while waiting for some future event.
- just the tip of the iceberg — The smallest, evident part of something that is much greater but hidden from view; more t…