French proverbs

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Ce que pense l'âne, ne pense l' ânier. Show translation What the donkey thinks, the donkeyman thinks. The horse thinks one thing and he who rides him another.
Homme seul est viande à loup. Show translation Homme seul is wolf meat. One and none is all one.
Ce sont deux ânes qui se grattent. Show translation Two donkeys scratching each other. Jeerers must be content to taste of their own broth.
De mauvais corbeau mauvais oeuf. Show translation Bad crow bad egg. We may not expect a good whelp from an ill dog.
A laver la tête d'un âne, l'on n'y perd que la lessive. Show translation When you wash a donkey's head, all you lose is the detergent. A crow is never the whiter for washing herself often.
Petite étincelle engendre grand feu. Show translation A small spark creates a big fire. Of a small spark a great fire.
En espérance d' avoir mieux tant vit le loup qu'il devient vieux. Show translation Hoping for something better, the wolf lives so long that he grows old. While the grass grows, the horse starves.
A méchant ouvrier point de bon outil. Show translation A bad worker needs a good tool. A bad workman quarrels with his tools.
On ne peut empêcher les chiens d' aboyer et les menteurs de mentir. Show translation You can't stop dogs from barking and liars from lying. He who will stop every man's mouth must have a great deal of meal.
Chose défendue, chose désirée. Show translation Something forbidden, something desired. Forbidden fruit is sweet.
Quand le renard se met à prêcher, gare aux poules. Show translation When the fox starts preaching, watch out for the chickens. When the fox preaches, then beware your geese.
Il ne faut pas mépriser les petites choses, c'est par elles qu'on arrive aux grandes. Show translation We mustn't despise the little things, because it's through them that we get to the big things. All is fish that comes to the net.
Si on lui donne long comme le doigt, il en prend long comme le bras. Show translation If you give him as long as your finger, he'll take as long as your arm. Give him an inch and he'll take an ell.
Qui tout convoite tout perd. Show translation He who covets all loses all. Grasp all, lose all.
Quand on se noie, on s' accroche où l'on peut. Show translation When you're drowning, you hang on wherever you can. A drowning man will catch at a straw.
Il n'est rien tel que balai neuf. Show translation There's no such thing as a new broom. A new broom sweeps clean.
Il faut semer qui veut moissonner. Show translation If you want to reap, sow. He that does not sow does not mow.
L' aigle ne chasse point aux mouches. Show translation The eagle doesn't hunt flies. Eagles catch no flies.
Il ne faut qu'une brebis galeuse pour infester un troupeau. Show translation It only takes one black sheep to infest a flock. One scabbed sheep will mar a whole flock.
Mal d'autrui n'est que songe. Show translation The evil of others is only a dream. It is easy for a man in health to preach patience to the sick.

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French proverbs