One ill word asketh another.
Meaning: Harsh speech begets harsh response, creating cycles of escalating conflict rather than resolution.
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
- Jesting lies bring serious sorrows. — Careless humor that distorts truth erodes trust and eventually causes genuine pain to rel…
- Misunderstanding brings lies to town. — Unclear communication creates fertile ground where falsehoods spread and distort truth.
- Old saws speak the truth. — Time-tested sayings endure because experience has repeatedly proven their wisdom.
- Painted pictures are dead speakers. — Visual representations lack the power of living voice and direct human communication.
- Soft words butter no parsnips. — Gentle flattery alone cannot feed you; action and effort produce real, tangible results.
- Speak well of the dead. — Honoring those who've passed prevents spreading harm they can no longer defend themselves…