Stretch your legs according to your coverlet.
Meaning: Live within your means; don't spend beyond what you can afford or possess.
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 Wisdom
- Cowardice is afraid to be known or seen. — Fear of exposure reveals cowardice itself—the truly brave face scrutiny without shame.
- The greatest crabs are not always the best meat. — Size alone doesn't guarantee quality; assess substance beneath surface appearances.
- He must crack the nut that would eat the kernel. — Effort and perseverance are necessary prerequisites; you cannot enjoy rewards without end…
- To a crazy ship all winds are contrary. — A disoriented mind finds obstacles everywhere, even when circumstances remain favorable.
- The worst wheel of a cart creaks most. — The most damaged or weakest part of any system draws attention and creates problems dispr…
- Credit lost is a Venice glass broken. — Once trust in your reliability shatters, it cannot be perfectly restored, only roughly me…
From our compliments & insults
- Testa quadrata — A rigid, inflexible blockhead who refuses to see beyond their fixed ideas.
- È un mammone — An overgrown man who can't make a decision without his mother — the Italian archetype of…
- Che piagnucolone — A relentless crybaby who finds something to complain about in every situation.