Promises are too much like pie-crusts, made to be broken.
Meaning: Keeping promises requires discipline; convenience often trumps commitment, especially when sacrifice becomes necessary.
Origin: Jonathan Swift's Polite Conversation (1738), a satire stuffed with the clichés of fashionable talk, has "Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken." A pie crust exists to be cut open, and some promises, the joke goes, are made in the same spirit.
More proverbs about Communication
- If we do not hear reason she will one day make herself be heard. — Ignoring justified criticism only delays inevitable consequences; resistance to truth eve…
- Men hold the reins, but the women tell them which way to drive. — Behind visible authority, women's influence subtly directs outcomes through persuasion ra…
- A story never loses by re-telling. — Repeated tellings enhance a story's impact through familiar enjoyment and accumulated det…
- Love rules his kingdom without a sword. — Affection maintains order and obedience more effectively than force or coercion ever coul…
- Learn to say before you sing. — Master the fundamentals of speech and communication before attempting public performance…
- Saying and doing are two things. — Words cost nothing, but actions require commitment, effort, and genuine intention to fulf…
From our tongue twisters
- Карл у Клары украл кораллы, Клара у Карла украла кларнет. (Karl u Klary ukral korally, Klara u Karla ukrala klarnet.) — A 'kl/kr/r' drama — crime, countercrimes, and consonant clusters all at once.
- Корабли лавировали, лавировали, да не вылавировали. (Korabli lavirovali, lavirovali, da ne vylavirovali.) — One verb, three inflections, pure 'lav/vir' torture — the word grows with every repetitio…
- W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie i Szczebrzeszyn z tego słynie. — The opening of a poem by Julian Tuwim, now Poland's most-quoted tongue twister — the cons…