Ships fear fire more than water.

Meaning: Sailors know that uncontrolled fire destroys vessels faster than the ocean itself threatens them.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Challenge

Every man will shoot at the enemy, but few will go to fetch the shaft. — Courage in battle is common; the difficult work of recovery and preparation afterward sep…
As good sit still as rise up and fall. — Futile effort yields no better outcome than patient acceptance when circumstances are bey…
Put a snake in your bosom, and when it is warm it will sting you. — Harboring someone you know to be dangerous, once comfortable, will inevitably betray your…
Better be ill spoken of by one before all, than by all before one. — Public criticism from a single person is preferable to private gossip spreading through m…
He that will steal an egg will steal an ox. — Small moral breaches signal willingness to commit greater crimes when opportunity and sta…
He that will steal a pin will steal a better thing. — Small moral compromises create a slippery slope toward committing greater wrongs.

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