Rodgers Dictionary of Proverbs
Do not swat a mosquito with a sword.
Do not sweep someone else’s home while
yours is dirty.
Do not talk about a rhinoceros if there is no
tree nearby.
Do not talk Arabic in the house of a Moor.
Do not teach a learned person.
Do not teach a pike to swim, a pike knows
his own science.
Do not tear down the east wall to repair the
west wall.
Do not tell a friend anything you would
conceal from an enemy.
Do not tell secrets in front of servants.
Do not tell tales out of school. Early to bed
and early to rise makes a man healthy,
wealthy and wise.
Do not tell the man who is carrying you that
he stinks.
Do not tell your secrets behind a wall or a
hedge.
Do not think that placid water is without
crocodiles.
Do not throw a stone at the mouse and
break the precious vase.
Do not throw aside good hay.
Do not throw away the oars before the boat
reaches the shore.
Do not throw pearls to swine.
Do not throw the arrow which will return
against you.
Do not treat your loved one like a swinging
door: you are fond of it but you push it
back and forth.
Do not triumph before the victory.
Do not trust a person who claims to be
honest, and never trust exaggerated
friendliness.
Do not trust even your own shirt.
Do not trust flatterers.
Do not try to cook the goat’s young in the
goat’s milk.
Do not try to fight a lion if you are not one
yourself.
Do not use a hatchet to remove a fly from
your friend’s forehead.
Do not use words that are too big for your
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mouth.
Do not wade where you see no bottom.
Do not wait until tomorrow to hunt.
Do not wake one who is sleeping; you will
fall asleep yourself.
Do not wake sleeping dogs.
Do not wake up the sleeping bear.
Do not walk behind us, we may not lead; do
not walk in front of us, we may not
follow; walk besides us, so that we may
guide each other.
Do not walk in God’s ways on someone
else’s behalf.
Do not walk into a snake pit with your eyes
open.
Do not waste your ginger on pigs.
Do not waste your time looking for soft
ground to drive your spade in.
Do not weaken the attention of him who is
occupied.
Do not whirl a snake in the air when you
have killed it; the ones which remain in
their holes see you.
Do not withhold good from those to whom
it is due, when it is in the power of your
hand to do so.
Do not wrong or hate your neighbor for it is
not he that you wrong but yourself.
Do not yell “dinner” until your knife is in
the loaf.
Do nothing and nothing will be known.
Do on the hill as you would do in the hall.
Do one thing at time, with supreme excel-
lence.
Do or die.
Do right and fear no man.
Do something at its right time, and peace
will accompany it.
Do something good and your neighbor will
never know, do something bad and they
will hear about it a hundred miles away.
Do something good to the small thing down
here, so that the small thing above will
come down. (Be faithful when doing
something in the beginning so that you
can get larger things in the future.)