Wider ears and a shorter tongue.
Meaning: Listening more than speaking prevents foolishness and builds wisdom through others' knowledge.
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 which is easily done is soon believed. — Quick, effortless results breed credibility, while difficult achievements invite skeptici…
- Send a wise man on an errand and say nothing to him. — Trust competent people to understand their task without micromanagement or unnecessary ex…
- One eye-witness is better than ten hearsays. — Direct observation beats secondhand reports because eyewitnesses capture truth free from…
- God send me a friend that may tell me my faults; if not, an enemy, he will be sure to. — Criticism from friends teaches growth; enemies provide it regardless, so seek honest feed…
- Happy is he who knows his follies in his youth. — Self-awareness in youth allows course correction before mistakes become entrenched life p…
- A fool may ask more questions in half an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years. — Foolish questioning consumes time unproductively while wisdom requires patient, deliberat…
From our tongue twisters
- Ехал Грека через реку, видит Грека — в реке рак. (Yekhal Greka cherez reku, vidit Greka — v reke rak.) — A rolling 'r/k' drill where Greka, reku and rak keep trading the same two consonants.
- От топота копыт пыль по полю летит. (Ot topota kopyt pyl po polyu letit.) — A 'p/t' hammering that imitates the hoofbeats it describes.
- Четыре чёрненьких чумазеньких чертёнка чертили чёрными чернилами чертёж. (Chetyre chyornenkikh chumazenkikh chertyonka chertili chyornymi chernilami chertyozh.) — Seven consecutive words built on 'ch' — Russian's ч in every stressed position with barel…