
ProverbWisdom
English origin1640
The best mirror is an old friend
Meaning: True friends who have known us for a long time see us most clearly and honestly.
Origin: From George Herbert's Outlandish Proverbs (1640), a collection of foreign sayings gathered by the English poet and priest, later reissued as Jacula Prudentum. An old friend, it says, shows you yourself more truthfully than glass does — flaws included.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Ни пуха ни пера (Ni pukha ni pera) Good luck — to which the ritual reply is 'To the devil!'.
- Ехать зайцем (Yekhat' zaytsem) To ride a train or bus without paying.
- После дождичка в четверг (Posle dozhdichka v chetverg) Never — or certainly no time soon.
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