Still waters run deep
Meaning: Quiet people often have great depth of character.
Origin: The Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus observed that the deepest rivers flow with the least sound. English has the idea from the Middle Ages, and Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2 has "Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep." A quiet person may hide strong feelings or great knowledge.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Il n'est pire eau que l'eau qui dort (literally: There is no worse water than sleeping water)
- Spanish: Del agua mansa líbreme Dios (literally: God save me from still water)
- Japanese: 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (Nō aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu) (literally: A talented hawk hides its talons)
- German: Stille Wasser sind tief (literally: Still waters are deep)
More proverbs about Communication
- Barking dogs seldom bite — People who make threats rarely carry them out.
- A picture is worth a thousand words — Visual information communicates more effectively than text.
- The squeaky wheel gets the grease — Those who complain the most get attention.
- It takes two to tango — Both parties are responsible in a conflict.
- United we stand, divided we fall — Strength comes from unity.
- A rising tide lifts all boats — General improvements benefit everyone.
From our compliments & insults
- T'as pas inventé le fil à couper le beurre — You're not exactly a genius — the wire to cut butter is about the most obvious tool imagi…
- Tête de mule — An impossibly stubborn person who refuses to change their mind no matter what.
- C'est une vraie chèvre — They're hopelessly stubborn and infuriating — a goat that refuses to be moved.