ProverbWisdomPolish origin

Nie taki diabeł straszny, jak go malują

Meaning: Things are rarely as bad as they're made out to be.

Literally: The devil isn't as scary as he's painted

Example: “Bałem się egzaminu, ale nie taki diabeł straszny, jak go malują.” — I was scared of the exam, but it wasn't as bad as it was made out to be.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 2 more languages

  • English: There are more threatened than struck.
  • French: Il y a plus de peur que de mal (literally: There is more fear than harm)
  • Spanish: Más son los amenazados que los heridos (literally: The threatened outnumber the wounded)
  • Japanese: 案ずるより産むが易し (Anzuru yori umu ga yasushi) (literally: Giving birth is easier than worrying about it)
  • German: Es wird nicht so heiß gegessen, wie es gekocht wird (literally: Things are not eaten as hot as they are cooked)
  • Italian: Il diavolo non è così brutto come lo si dipinge (literally: The devil isn't as ugly as he's painted)
  • Russian: Не так страшен чёрт, как его малюют (Ne tak strashen chyort, kak ego malyuyut) (literally: The devil isn't as scary as he's painted)

Origin: Church painters made the devil as frightening as they could; the real thing is less so. Italian says the same: il diavolo non è così brutto come lo si dipinge.

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