Rodgers Dictionary of Proverbs
Better an honest enemy than a false friend.
Better an honest slap in the face than an
insincere kiss.
Better an idle house than a bad tenant.
Better an intelligent enemy than a stupid
friend.
Better an iron dictatorship than a golden
anarchy.
Better an old but wise man than a young but
foolish man.
Better an old man’s darling than a young
man’s slave.
Better an open enemy than a false friend.
Better an ounce of happiness than a pound
of gold.
Better an ounce of luck than a pound of
gold.
Better an ugly duckling from your own
village than a beauty from foreign parts.
Better an unjust peace than a just war.
Better anticipate than be anticipated.
Better apple given nor eaten.
Better April showers than the breadth of the
ocean in gold.
Better ask ten times than go astray once.
Better ask twice than go wrong once.
Better ask twice than to lose your way once.
Better aught than nought.
Better auld debts nor auld sairs.
Better auld debts than auld sairs.
Better bad than without.
Better badly mounted than proud on foot.
Better bairns greit, nor bearded men.
Better be a bird of the wood than a bird in
the cage.
Better be a coward than foolhardy.
Better be a cursed man than he who curses.
Better be a fool than a knave.
Better be a good man’s slave than badly
married.
Better be a tail for the lions than the head of
the foxes.
Better be alone than in bad company.
Better be alone than in ill company.
Better be an old man’s darling than a young
man’s slave.
Better be an old man's darling than a young
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man's slave
Better be carried by an ass than thrown by a
horse.
Better be convinced by words than by
blows.
Better be dead as out of the fashion.
Better be dead than out of fashion
Better be envied than pitied.
Better be first in a village than second at
Rome.
Better be freends at a distance than enemies
at hame.
Better be happy than wise.
Better be idle than ill doing.
Better be ill spoken of by one before all than
by all before one.
Better be in debt than in shame.
Better be killed by robbers than by the kick
of an ass.
Better be kind at home than burn incense in
a far place.
Better be mad with all the world than wise
alone.
Better be one-eyed than quite blind.
Better be out of the world than out of the
fashion.
Better be proficient in one art than a
smatterer in a thousand.
Better be quarreling than lonesome.
Better be safe than sorry.
Better be silent than speak ill.
Better be sonsy than soon up.
Better be the head of a cat than the tail of a
lion.
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a
lion
Better be the head of a lizard than the tail of
a dragon.
Better be the head of a pike than the tail of a
sturgeon.
Better be the head of a rat than the tail of a
lion.
Better be the head of an ass than the tail of a
lion.
Better be the head of the yeomanry than the
tail of the gentry.