Whom we love best to them we can say least.
Meaning: Deepest affection often leaves us tongue-tied, unable to fully express what we feel most intensely.
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
- Do as most do, and fewest will speak ill of thee. — Conformity to social norms shields you from criticism, though at the cost of individualit…
- Mouth civility costs little but is worth less. — Polite words without sincere intent or action provide mere surface comfort, offering no r…
- He that sends mouths sends meat. — Supporting dependents obligates one to provide their sustenance.
- The nurse's tongue is privileged to talk. — Medical expertise grants authority to speak truth about patients' conditions without soci…
- Pity, promises, and blame, are always cheap and plentiful. — Sympathy, commitments, and accusations cost nothing, so people offer them freely without…
- Possession is nine points of the law, and they say there are but ten. — Physical control of something provides nearly complete legal claim, leaving little room f…
From our compliments & insults
- Tu as une cervelle de moineau — You're scatterbrained and forgetful.
- Без царя в голове (Bez tsarya v golove) — Foolish and reckless — with no one in charge upstairs.
- Cabeça de alho chocho — A forgetful scatterbrain whose thoughts won't stay put.