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English speaking countries | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Folk Sayings, Famous Quotes or Proverbs on the Family
A
o As you sow, so shall you reap.
o The apple doesn't fall far from the tree (Meaning: Like father, like son).
B
o Be it ever so humble there's no place like home.
o The best of friends must part.
o The best things in life are free.
o Better be quarreling than lonesome.
o Better fifty enemies outside the house than one within.
o Better one house spoiled than two.
o Birth is much, but breeding is more.
o Blood is thicker than water (Meaning: familial ties are stronger than any other kind.).
o Born with a silver spoon in his/her mouth (Meaning: born in a rich family).
o Boys will be boys (Meaning: boys are traditionally expected to misbehave, while girls are not.).
o A brother may not be a friend, but a friend will always be a brother.
C
o Charity begins at home.
o The child is father to the man (Meaning: What is true of a child will still be true when it grows up; or, early experiences shape future character.)
o Children are a poor man's riches. Or, Children are poor men's riches.
o Children should be seen and not heard.
o Children suck the mother when they are young and the father when they are old.
o A chip off the old block (Meaning: Like father, like son.).
o Cleanliness is next to godliness.
o A constant guest is never welcome.
D
o Don't bite the hand that feeds you (Meaning: Do not act in such a way as to leave yourself no alternative or no opportunity to "retreat." Or don't criticize those that you are dependent on -- like your parents or your employers).
o Don't wash your dirty linen in public.
E
o East or West? Home is best.
o An Englishman's home is his castle.
o Every branch blossoms according to the root from which it sprung.
o Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard.
o Every family has at least one black sheep.
o Every finger has not the same length, nor every son the same disposition.
o Every mother's child is handsome.
o Every mother thinks her own gosling a swan.
o Experience is the mother of wisdom.
F
o A false friend and a shadow stay only while the sun shines.
o A father's a treasure; a brother's a comfort; a friend is both.
o The female of the species is more deadly than the male.
o A friend's eye is a good mirror.
o A friend in need is a friend indeed.
o A friend is never known till needed.
o A friend's frown is better than a foe's smile.
o The friend that can be bought is not worth buying.
o A friend to all is a friend to none.
o Friendless in life, friendless in death.
o Friends are like fiddle strings, they must not be screwed too tight.
G
o God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. [Jewish proverb]
o A good name is a second inheritance.
o Great oaks from little acorns grow.
H
o He that spareth his rod hateth his son. [Old Testament]
o "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." [Mae West]
o A house divided cannot stand.
o Home is where he hangs his hat.
o Home is where the heart is.
I
o If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were.
o If you love the children of others, you will love your own even better.
o Instinct is stronger than upbringing.
o In times of prosperity friends will be plenty, in times of adversity not one in twenty.
o It's better to be on your own than with people you don't like.
o It's easy to become a father, but hard to be one.
o It takes a village to raise a child.
K
Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer.
Keep your friendships in repair.
L
o Learning is better than house and land.
o Lend your money and lose your friend.
o Like breeds like.
o Like father, like son.
o Like mother, like daughter.
o Little friends may prove great friends.
o The longest mile is the last mile home.
o Love conquers all.
o Love is blind.
o Love makes the world go round.
o Love sees no faults.
o Love will find a way.
M
o A man's home is his castle.
o A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.
o Marriages are made in heaven.
o Misfortune tests the sincerity of friends.
o My house is my castle.
N
o No better relation than a prudent and faithful friend.
o No man tells the truth about himself, only his neighbors do.
O
o One enemy is too many, and a hundred friends two few.
o One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.
P
o Praise the young and they will blossom.
R
o Relatives are friends from bitter necessity.
S
o A small family is soon provided for.
o A son is a son 'till he gets him a wife; a daughter's a daughter all her life.
o Spare the rod, spoil the child (Meaning: Lack of deserved discipline develops undesired behavior in a child. Sometimes used to justify corporal punishment).
T
o Tall oaks from little acorns grow.
o There's a black sheep in every family.
o There is no distance too great between friends for love gives wings to the heart.
o There's no place like home.
o They are scarce of news that speak ill of their mother.
o A true friend laughs at your stories even when they're not so good, an sympathizes with your troubles evenw hen they're not so bad.
o Trust is the mother of deceit.
W
o When children stand quiet, they have done some damage.
o When good cheer is lacking, our friends will be packing.
o Who keeps his tongue keeps his friends.
o A woman's place is in the home.
o A woman's work is never done.
o Where there is no trust there is no love.
Y
o You can judge a man by the company he keeps.
o You can't please everyone.
o Youth will be served.
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress #3b48705r
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French speaking countries | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: French Proverbs or Folk Sayings on the Family
A
o Adversity is the touchstone of friendship.
C
o The child may be rocked too hard.
o Children have more need of models than critics.
o A coal man is master of his own house.
D
o Dogs don't make cats (English equivalent: Like father, like son.).
F
o A father is a banker provided by nature.
H
o A hedge between keeps friendship green.
L
o in English translation: The little fish will grow.
- Meaning: Boys will be men one day.
- French original: Petit poisson deviendra grand.
T
o in English translation: There's nothing small near oneself.
- Meaning: There's no place like home.
- French original: Il n'y a pas de petit chez soi.
Y
o in English translation: Youth must happen.
- Meaning: Youth must have its fling, Or Boys will be boys.
- French original: Il faut que jeunesse se passe.
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #812176
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Spanish speaking countries | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Spanish Proverbs or Folk Sayings on the Family
A
o in English translation: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
- Meaning: Like father, like son.
- Spanish original: De tal palo, tal astilla.
B
o A brother's wrath and the wrath of a devil are one and the same.
C
o in English translation: Character and presence from the cradle to the tomb.
- Spanish original: Genio y figura hasta la sepultura.
o Children's love is like water in a basket.
H
o in English translation (literally): He who sleeps with kids wakes up with their piss. Or, Whom sleepest with children, waketh with their piss.
- Meaning: We have to accept how people are when we deal with them.
- Spanish original: Quien con minos se acuesta, meado se levanta.
I
o in English translation: If God doesn't give children to you, the devil will give you nephews.
- Spanish original: Aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda.
L
o Life without a friend is death without a witness.
M
o in English translation: A mother-in-law would be bitter even if made of sugar.
o Spanish original: Suegra ni aun de azucar es buena.
N
o in English translation: No one should stick his hands between married couples or brothers.
- Meaning: No one should try to interfere in family matters.
- Spanish original: Entre casados y hermanos, ninguno meta las manos.
T
o Take your time in choosing friends, and take even more time in changing them.
o in English translation (literally): Those who go to bed with babies get up damp.
- English equivalent: Lie down with dogs and you wake up fleas.
- Spanish original: El que con ninos se acuesta, molido se despierta.
o Those who have friends are rich.
o Three daughters and a mother are four devils for a father.
o in English translation: The tiger's son comes out painted. - English equivalent: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Or, Like father, like son.
- Spanish original: Hijo de tigre sale pintado.
W
o in English translation: Who doesn't cry doesn't nurse.
- Meaning: If you never ask for help probably you will never receive it.
- Spanish original: Quien no llora, no mama.
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The Library of Congress
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German speaking countries | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: German Proverbs or Folk Sayings on the Family
A
o in English translation: The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
- Meaning: Like father, like son.
- German original: Der apfel fallt nicht weit vom stamm.
B
o in English translation: Blood is thicker than water.
- Meaning: Familial ties are stronger than monetary ones.
- German original: Blut is dicker als wasser.
D
o in English translation: Do not bite into the hand which feeds you.
- German original: Beib nicht in die hand, die dich futtert.
E
o in English translation: The egg wants to be smarter than the hen.
- German original: Das ei will kluger sein als die henne.
F
o A father maintains ten children better than ten children one father.
o A fence makes love more keen.
G
o A good name is a rich inheritance.
H
o A hug a day keeps the demons at bay.
O
o The old man saves, his son is a spendthrift.
o One father can better nourish ten children than ten children can nourish one father.
P
o The parents' death is often the children's good fortune.
o Parents love their children more than do children their parents.
Y
o You can do anything with children if only you play with them.
| Contributed by: Image courtesy of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #78026
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The East | | Date: Centuries-old | Notes: Eastern Proverb or Folk Saying on the Family (Parenting)
o The rain of tears is necessary for the harvest of learning. | Contributed by: Image courtesty of The New York Public Library, Digital Gallery #1524879
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