Top 270 Quotes & Sayings by Plautus - Page 4

And so it happens oft in many instances; more good is done without our knowledge than by us intended. [Lat., Itidemque ut saepe jam in multis locis, Plus insciens quis fecit quam prodens boni.]

Fire is next akin to smoke.

Even the whole of life is not sufficient for thorough learning.

You will not be a chip the richer.

To waste one's breath; to pump into a sieve.

It is difficult to fly without wings.

Out of many evils the evil which is least is the least of evils. [Lat., E malis multis, malum, quod minimum est, id minimum est malum.]

We are pouring our words into a sieve, and lose our labor. [Lat., In pertusum ingerimus dicta dolium, operam ludimus.]

No one can be so welcome a guest that he will not become an annoyance when he has stayed three continuous days in a friend's house. [Lat., Hospes nullus tam in amici hospitium diverti potest, Quin ubi triduum continuum fuerit jam odiosus siet.

A man with courage has every blessing.

It is difficult to whistle and drink at the same time.

Confidence begets confidence. Courage, an independent spark from heaven's bright throne, By which the soul stands raised, triumphant, high, alone. Courage in danger is half the battle.

He who bravely endures evils, in time reaps the reward.

If you squander on a holyday, you will want on a workday unless you have been sparing.

Besides that, when elsewhere the harvest of wheat is most abundant, there it comes up less by one-fourth than what you have sowed. There, methinks, it were a proper place for men to sow their wild oats, where they would not spring up.

I am undone! I have smashed the waggon. [I have ruined all.]

I know that we women are all justly accounted praters; they say in the present day that there never was in any age such a wonder to be found as a dumb woman. [Lat., Nam multum loquaces merito omnes habemus, Nec mutam profecto repertam ullam esse Hodie dicunt mulierem ullo in seculo.]

How often the highest talent lurks in obscurity.

The Bell never rings of itself; unless some one handles or moves it it is dumb. [Lat., Nunquam aedepol temere tinniit tintinnabulum; Nisi quis illud tractat aut movet, mutum est, tacet.]

Give assistance, and receive thanks lighter than a feather: injure a man, and his wrath will be like lead.

He who is most on his guard is often himself taken in.

Man proposes, God disposes.

I suspect that hunger was my mother.

The woman who has the best perfume is she who has none.

Ones oldest friend is the best.

It is good to love in a moderate degree; to distraction, it is not good; but to love to entire distraction, is the thing that my master's doing.

Tattletales, and those who listen to their slander, by my good will, should all be hanged. The former by their tongues, the latter by their ears. [Lat., Homines qui gestant, quique auscultant crimina, si meo arbitratu liceat, omnes pendeant gestores linguis, auditores auribus.]

Love has both its gall and honey in abundance: it has sweetness to the taste, but it presents bitterness also to satiety.

It wasn't for nothing that the raven was just now croaking on my left hand.

Remind a man of what he remembers, and you will make him forget it.

Badly gotten, badly spent. [Lat., Male partum, male disperit.]

He whom the gods love dies young, whilst he is full of health, perception, and judgment. [Lat., Quem dii diligunt, Adolescens moritur, dum valet, sentit, sapit.]

Keep what you have got; the known evil is best. [Lat., Habeas ut nactus; nota mala res optima est.]

It is our human lot, it is heaven's will, that sorrow follow joy.

He who tries to protect himself from deception is often cheated, even when most on his guard.

It is common to forget a man and slight him if his good will cannot help you.

Smooth words in place of gifts. [Lat., Dicta docta pro datis.]

The man who masters his own soul will forever be called conqueror of conquerors.

Who wishes to give himself an abundance of business let him equip these two things, a ship and a woman. For no two things involve more business, if you have begun to fit them out. Nor are these two things ever sufficiently adorned, nor is any excess of adornment enough for them.

If you say hard things you must expect to hear them in return.

Spice a dish with love and it pleases every palate.

Fortitude is a great help in distress.

A good disposition I far prefer to gold; for gold is the gift of fortune; goodness of disposition is the gift of nature. I prefer much rather to be called good than fortunate.

Courage is its own reward.

If I can only keep my good name, I shall have riches enough.

To snatch the worm from the trap.

The sea is certainly common to all.

Wine is a cunning wrestler.

It is easy to rule over the good.

He is hailed a conqueror of conquerors. [Lat., Victor victorum cluet.]

I count him lost, who is lost to shame.

He who would eat the kernel, must crack the shell. [Lat., Qui e nuce nucleum esse vult, frangat nucem.]

We should try to succeed by merit, not by favor. He who does well will always have patrons enough. [Lat., Virtute ambire oportet, non favitoribus. Sat habet favitorum semper, qui recte facit.]

If you spend a thing you can not have it. [Lat., Non tibi illud apparere si sumas potest.]

Are you not accustomed to look at home, when you abuse others?

To blow and to swallow at the same time is not easy; I cannot at the same time be here and also there. [Lat., Simul flare sorbereque haud facile Est: ego hic esse et illic simul, haud potui.]

It does not matter a feather whether a man be supported by patron or client, if he himself wants courage. [Lat., Animus tamen omnia vincit. Ille etiam vires corpus habere facit.]

If you strike the goads with your fists, your hands suffer most.

Modesty becomes a young man. [Lat., Adolescentem verecundum esse decet.]

What is thine is mine, and all mine is thine. [Lat., Quod tuum'st meum'st; omne meum est autem tuum.]