Rodgers Dictionary of Proverbs
Better be the lucky man than the lucky
man’s son.
Better be too credulous than too skeptical.
Better be well loved, nor ill won geir.
Better be wrong with the many than right
with the few.
Better beg than steal.
Better belly burst than good meat lost.
Better belly burst than good victuals spoil.
Better beloved than admired.
Better bend than break.
Better bend the back than bruise the
forehead.
Better bide the Cooks nor the Mediciners.
Better blind of eye than blind of heart.
Better blow hard than burn yourself.
Better bow nor break.
Better bread in the basket than a feather in
your cap.
Better buy as borrow.
Better buy than barrow.
Better children weep than old men.
Better coarse cloth than naked thighs.
Better come late to church than never.
Better cross an angry man than a fasting
man.
Better cross-eyed than blind.
Better cut the shoe than pinch the foot.
Better day the better deed.
Better death than dishonor People
Better delay and get there.
Better deserve honour and not have it, than
have it and not deserve it.
Better die a beggar than live as a miser.
Better die ten years early than live ten years
poor.
Better die with honour than live with shame.
Better do a good deed near at home than go
far away to burn incense.
Better do a kindness near home than go far
to burn incense.
Better do it than wish it done.
Better do little good than a great deal bad.
Better droping than dry.
Better dry bread in peacetime than meat in
wartime.
Better early than late.
120
Better eat brown bread in youth than in eild.
Better educated than wealthy.
Better envy than pity.
Better face a danger once than be always in
fear.
Better fifty enemies outside the house than
one within.
Better find iron than tine siller.
Better finger off, nor ay warking.
Better for a man to have even a dog
welcome him than a dog bark at him.
Better free in a foreign land than a serf at
home.
Better gain in mud than lose in gold.
Better gie the slight than tak it.
Better give a penny than lend twenty.
Better give birth to a sweating baby than a
laughing one.
Better give nor take.
Better give nothing than stolen alms.
Better give than not to have to give.
Better give the wool than the sheep.
Better go about than be drowned.
Better go about than fall into the ditch.
Better go around than fall into the ditch.
Better go round than be drowned.
Better go than send.
Better go to bed supperless than rise in debt.
Better go to heaven in rags than to hell in
embroidery.
Better go without medicine than call in an
unskilled physician.
Better good sale, nor good Ale.
Better hae than want.
Better half a donkey than half a camel.
Better half a loaf than none at all.
Better half an egg than empty shells.
Better half an egge, nor teem doup.
Better half hanged than ill married.
Better hand loose nor bound to an ill bakie.
Better hand loose than in an ill tethering.
Better hand loose, nor bound to an ill
baikine.
Better happy to court, nor good service.