My Favorite Maxims

I have often quoted these in the course of days so far. There is truth in every one. Like epigrams, there is also a much-appreciated pithiness to them.

A man’s home is his castle.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

A man is known by the company he keeps.

A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

A watched pot never boils.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Actions speak louder than words.

All’s well that ends well.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Better be alone than in bad company.

Better late than never.

Better safe than sorry.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Buyer beware.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Every dog has his day.

Good fences make good neighbors.

Great minds think alike.

Half a loaf is better than no loaf.

He who hesitates is lost.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Home is where the heart is.

Honesty is the best policy.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

It’s not over ’til it’s over.

Knowledge is power.

Laughter is the best medicine.

Live and let live.

Let sleeping dogs lie.

Look before you leap.

Make hay while the sun shines.

Money is the root of all evil.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Never say ‘Never’.

No man is an island.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Opportunity seldom knocks twice.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Patience is a virtue.

Practice makes perfect.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

See and ye shall find.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Strike when the iron is hot.

The best things in life are free.

The early bird catches the worm.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

There’s no fool like an old fool.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

There’s no use crying over spilled milk.

Tomorrow is another day.

Two heads are better than one.

United we stand, divided we fall.

What you don’t know can’t hurt you.

When it rains, it pours.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.

You can’t always get what you want.

You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs.

You can’t take it with you.

You win some and you lose some.