Who has not a good tongue, ought to have good hands.
Meaning: Lacking eloquence in speech, one must compensate through skilled physical labor or useful deeds.
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 Communication
- That is true which all men say. — What everyone believes requires no individual verification; consensus substitutes for per…
- Speak the truth and shame the devil. — Truth-telling defeats deception by exposing falsehood's powerlessness against honest word…
- Any flat can talk of change of weather. — Even the most ordinary person can observe and comment on obvious, visible phenomena occur…
- He that tells his wife news is but newly married. — A husband who shares secrets with his wife hasn't yet learned discretion is essential to…
- Wit ill applied is a dangerous weapon. — Clever words wielded carelessly inflict harm deeper than intended, making intelligence wi…
- An honest man's word is as good as his bond. — Integrity without documentation suffices; trustworthy character renders formal guarantees…
From our compliments & insults
- C'est une vraie chèvre — They're hopelessly stubborn and infuriating — a goat that refuses to be moved.
- Casse-pieds — A massive bore or pain in the neck — someone who wears you down with their irritating way…
- Espèce de patate — You dim bulb — a potato being the very picture of inert, unthinking stodginess.