Save me from my friends.
Meaning: Betrayal by trusted allies causes deeper harm than obvious enemies ever could.
Origin: Short for "God save me from my friends — I can take care of my enemies myself." The story is ancient: Antigonus, one of Alexander the Great's generals, is said to have ordered a sacrifice asking the gods to protect him from his friends, explaining that he could defend himself from his enemies. The French Marshal Villars used a version when taking leave of Louis XIV, and Voltaire later repeated it. It is the complaint of anyone harmed more by well-meaning allies than by opponents.
More proverbs about Perseverance
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- Keep some till more come. — Restraint in consumption during plenty ensures survival when scarcity inevitably returns.
- Least said is soonest mended. — Silence prevents wounds that words inflict; restraint in speech preserves relationships b…
- Slow fire makes sweet malt. — Patient, gradual processes produce superior results compared to rushed or intense approac…
- Never refuse a good offer. — Accepting beneficial opportunities when they arise prevents missed chances that may not r…
From our tongue twisters
- Wij smachten naar achtentachtig prachtige nachten. — Five words carrying the Dutch guttural 'cht', the sound foreigners find hardest to produc…
- Liesje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange Lindelaan. — Eight consecutive l-words, with the vowel behind the l changing every time.
- なまむぎ なまごめ なまたまご (Nama mugi, nama gome, nama tamago) — A nimble warm-up for the Japanese 'na / ma / ge' syllables.