This 'Complete The Proverbs' CST activities page is offered as a filler. I have selected the best or most recognisable proverbs from this website - https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/proverbs.html
The idea is to ask members to complete the proverb, with the facilitator reading out aloud each item, but missing out the capitalised word or words.
This is a memory recall activity, but to make it more interesting discuss the meanings of proverbs with members and how much they ring true today.
(The meanings of the proverbs are included on the website, if you need to clarify any of them.)
This is a fairly comprehensive list. You might want to spread the activity over a few sessions?
A barking dog never BITES
A bird in the hand is worth two IN THE BUSH
A change is as good as A REST
A dog is a man's BEST FRIEND
A fool and his money are soon PARTED
A friend in need is a friend INDEED
A leopard cannot change its SPOTS
A little of what you fancy does YOU GOOD
A nod's as good as a wink to a BLIND HORSE
A picture paints a thousand WORDS
A poor workman always blames HIS TOOLS
A problem shared is a problem HALVED
A rolling stone gathers NO MOSS
A stitch in time saves NINE
A thing of beauty is a joy FOREVER
A watched pot never BOILS
Absence makes the heart GROW FONDER
Actions speak louder THAN WORDS
All good things must come to AN END
All that glisters is not GOLD
All work and no play makes Jack A DULL BOY
All's well that ENDS WELL
An apple a day keeps THE DOCTOR AWAY
An Englishman's home is HIS CASTLE
An eye for an eye, a tooth FOR A TOOTH
Any port in a STORM
Appearances can be DECEPTIVE
As you make your bed, so you must LIE UPON IT
As you sow so shall YOU REAP
Ask a silly question and you'll get A SILLY ANSWER
Ask no questions and hear NO LIES
Bad news travels FAST
Be careful what you WISH FOR
Beauty is in the eye of the BEHOLDER
Beggars should not BE CHOOSERS
Behind every great man there's A GREAT WOMAN
Better late than NEVER
Better safe than SORRY
Beware the Ides OF MARCH
Birds of a feather FLOCK TOGETHER
Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS
Blood is thicker than WATER
Business before PLEASURE
Carpe DIEM (Seize the day)
Charity begins AT HOME
Children should be seen AND NOT HEARD
Cleanliness is next to GODLINESS
Clothes maketh THE MAN
Cold hands, WARM HEART
Count your BLESSINGS
Crime doesn't PAY
Cut your coat to suit YOUR CLOTH
Dead men tell NO TALES
Discretion is the better part OF VALOUR
Do as I say, not AS I DO
Do unto others as you would have them DO TO YOU
Don't bite the hand that FEEDS YOU
Don't burn your bridges BEHIND YOU
Don't count your chickens before THEY ARE HATCHED
Don't cut off your nose to SPITE YOUR FACE
Don't get mad, GET EVEN
Don't keep a dog and BARK YOURSELF
Don't let the cat out OF THE BAG
Don't let the grass grow UNDER YOUR FEET
Don't mix business with PLEASURE
Don't put all your eggs in ONE BASKET
Don't put the cart before THE HORSE
Don't rock the BOAT
Don't shoot the MESSENGER
Don't teach your Grandma TO SUCK EGGS
Don't throw the baby out with THE BATHWATER
Don't try to run before you CAN WALK
Don't upset the APPLE-CART
Don't wash your dirty linen IN PUBLIC
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, WEALTHY AND WISE
East, west, home's BEST
Easy come, EASY GO
Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow WE DIE
Empty vessels make the most NOISE
Enough is ENOUGH
Every cloud has a SILVER LINING
Every dog has ITS DAY
Every little HELPS
Every picture tells A STORY
Everything comes to HIM WHO WAITS
Faint heart never won FAIR LADY
Faith will move MOUNTAINS
Familiarity breeds CONTEMPT
Feed a cold and STARVE a fever
Fight fire with FIRE
Fight the good FIGHT
Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have GOOD LUCK
Finders keepers, losers WEEPERS
First come, first SERVED
First things FIRST
Flattery will get you NOWHERE
Fools rush in where angels FEAR TO TREAD
Forewarned is FOREARMED
Forgive and FORGET
Fortune favours THE BRAVE
From the sublime to the ridiculous IS ONLY ONE STEP
Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent PERSPIRATION
Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him FOR A LIFETIME
Give a man enough rope and he will HANG HIMSELF
Give credit where credit IS DUE
Go the extra MILE
God helps those who help THEMSELVES
Good things come in SMALL PACKAGES
Good things come to those WHO WAIT
Great minds THINK ALIKE
Hard work never did anyone ANY HARM
He who can does, he who cannot, TEACHES
He who fights and runs away, may live to fight ANOTHER DAY
He who laughs last laughs LONGEST
He who lives by the sword shall DIE BY THE SWORD
He who pays the piper CALLS THE TUNE
Hell hath no fury like a WOMAN SCORNED
History repeats ITSELF
Home is where the HEART IS
Honesty is the BEST POLICY
Hope springs ETERNAL
Horses for COURSES
If anything can go wrong, IT WILL
If a job is worth doing it is worth doing WELL
If at first you don't succeed try, try AND TRY AGAIN
If God had meant us to fly he'd have given us WINGS
If it ain't broke, don't FIX IT
If life deals you lemons, make LEMONADE
If the cap fits, WEAR IT
If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go TO THE MOUNTAIN
If the shoe fits, WEAR IT
If you can't be good, BE CAREFUL
If you can't beat em, JOIN EM
If you can't stand the heat get out of THE KITCHEN
If you pay peanuts, you get MONKEYS
If you want a thing done well, DO IT YOURSELF
Ignorance is BLISS
Imitation is the sincerest form of FLATTERY
In for a penny, in for A POUND
It ain't over till the fat LADY SINGS
It is better to give than TO RECEIVE
It never rains but IT POURS
It takes one to KNOW ONE
It takes two to TANGO
It's better to have loved and lost than never to have LOVED AT ALL
It's never too LATE
It's no use crying over SPILT MILK
It's no use locking the stable door after the horse HAS BOLTED
It's the early bird that catches THE WORM
It's the squeaky wheel that gets THE GREASE
Jack of all trades, master OF NONE
Judge not, that ye be not JUDGED
Keep your chin UP
Keep your friends close and your enemies CLOSER
Keep your powder DRY
Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you WEEP ALONE
Laughter is the best MEDICINE
Least said, soonest MENDED
Less is MORE
Let bygones be BYGONES
Let sleeping dogs LIE
Let the punishment fit THE CRIME
Let well ALONE
Life begins at FORTY
Life is just a bowl OF CHERRIES
Life is what you MAKE IT
Lightning never strikes twice IN THE SAME PLACE
Like father, LIKE SON
Little things please LITTLE MINDS
Live and let LIVE
Live for today for tomorrow NEVER COMES
Look before YOU LEAP
Love of money is the root of ALL EVIL
Love makes the world GO ROUND
Love thy neighbour AS THYSELF
Love will find A WAY
Make hay while the sun SHINES
Make love not WAR
Man does not live by bread ALONE
Manners maketh MAN
Many a mickle makes A MUCKLE
Many a true word is spoken in JEST
Many hands make LIGHT WORK
March comes in like a lion, and goes out LIKE A LAMB
March winds and April showers bring forth May FLOWERS
Marriages are made in HEAVEN
Marry in haste, repent at LEISURE
Mighty oaks from little acorns GROW
Moderation in ALL THINGS
Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for its living, And a child that's born on the Sabbath day Is fair and wise and GOOD AND GAY.
Money doesn't grow ON TREES
Money is the root of ALL EVIL
Money makes the world GO ROUND
More haste, less SPEED
Necessity is the mother of INVENTION
Needs must when the devil DRIVES
Never go to bed on AN ARGUMENT
Never judge a book by ITS COVER
Never look a gift horse IN THE MOUTH
Never put off until tomorrow what you can DO TODAY
Never speak ill OF THE DEAD
Never tell tales OUT OF SCHOOL
No man is an ISLAND
No names, no PACK-DRILL
No news is GOOD NEWS
No pain, NO GAIN
No rest for the WICKED
Nothing is certain but DEATH AND TAXES
Nothing succeeds like SUCCESS
Nothing ventured, NOTHING GAINED
Once bitten, TWICE SHY
One good turn DESERVES ANOTHER
One half of the world does not know how THE OTHER HALF LIVES
One man's meat is another MAN'S POISON
One might as well be hanged for a sheep AS A LAMB
One law for the rich and another for THE POOR
One swallow does not make A SUMMER
Only fools and horses WORK
Opposites ATTRACT
Out of sight, OUT OF MIND
Patience is a VIRTUE
Pearls of WISDOM
People who live in glass houses shouldn't THROW STONES
Physician, heal THYSELF
Practice makes PERFECT
Practice what you PREACH
Prevention is better than CURE
Pride goes before A FALL
Put your best foot FORWARD
Rain before seven, fine before ELEVEN
Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, SHEPHERD'S WARNING
Revenge is a dish best SERVED COLD
Revenge is SWEET
Rob Peter to pay PAUL
Rome wasn't built IN A DAY
See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have GOOD LUCK; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day
See no evil, hear no evil, SPEAK NO EVIL
Seeing is BELIEVING
Seek and ye shall FIND
Share and share ALIKE
Silence is GOLDEN
Slow but SURE
Softly, softly, catchee MONKEY
Speak as you FIND
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will NEVER HURT ME
Still waters RUN DEEP
Strike while the iron IS HOT
Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care OF THEMSELVES
Tell the truth and shame THE DEVIL
That which does not kill us makes US STRONGER
The apple never falls far FROM THE TREE
The best things in life ARE FREE
The bigger they are, the harder THEY FALL
The bread always falls BUTTERED SIDE DOWN
The course of true love never did RUN SMOOTH
The customer is always RIGHT
The Devil finds work for idle HANDS TO DO
The Devil is in THE DETAILS
The early bird catches THE WORM
The end justifies THE MEANS
The exception which proves THE RULE
The female of the species is more deadlier THAN THE MALE
The good die YOUNG
The grass is always greener on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE
The hand that rocks the cradle RULES THE WORLD
The longest journey starts with A SINGLE STEP
The more the MERRIER
The more things change, the more they STAY THE SAME
The opera ain't over till the FAT LADY SINGS
The pen is mightier than THE SWORD
The proof of the pudding is IN THE EATING
The road to hell is paved with GOOD INTENTIONS
The squeaking wheel GETS THE GREASE
The truth will OUT
The way to a man's heart is through HIS STOMACH
The whole is greater than the sum of THE PARTS
There are two sides to every QUESTION
There but for the grace of God, GO I
There's a time and a place for EVERYTHING
There's an exception to every RULE
There's always more fish IN THE SEA
There's honour among THIEVES
There's many a good tune played on an OLD FIDDLE
There's many a slip 'twixt cup AND LIP
There's more than one way to SKIN A CAT
There's no accounting for TASTES
There's no fool like an OLD FOOL
There's no place like HOME
There's no smoke without FIRE
There's no such thing as a free LUNCH
There's no such thing as bad PUBLICITY
There's no time like THE PRESENT
There's nowt so queer AS FOLK
There's one born EVERY MINUTE
There's safety in NUMBERS
Third time LUCKY
Those who live in glass houses shouldn't THROW STONES
Those who sleep with dogs will rise WITH FLEAS
Thou shalt not KILL
Time and tide wait for NO MAN
Time FLIES
Time is a great HEALER
'tis better to have loved and lost, than NEVER TO HAVE LOVED AT ALL
To err is human; to forgive DIVINE
Too many cooks spoil the BROTH
Two heads are better than ONE
Two is company, but three's A CROWD
Two wrongs don't make A RIGHT
Variety is the spice OF LIFE
Waste not want NOT
What goes up must COME DOWN
What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the GANDER
When in Rome, do as THE ROMANS DO
When the cat's away the MICE WILL PLAY
When the going gets tough, the tough GET GOING
What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't GRIEVE OVER
Where there's a will there's A WAY
Why keep a dog and bark YOURSELF?
Wonders will never CEASE
You can choose your friends but you can't choose YOUR FAMILY
You can have too much of a GOOD THING
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't MAKE IT DRINK
You can't have your cake and EAT IT
You can't get blood out OF A STONE
You can't make a silk purse from A SOW'S EAR
You can't make an omelette without breaking A FEW EGGS
You can't run with the hare and hunt with THE HOUNDS
You can't take it WITH YOU
You can't teach an old dog NEW TRICKS
You can't judge a book by its COVER
You can't win THEM ALL
You pays your money and you takes YOUR CHOICE
You reap what you SOW
You win some, you lose SOME
Youth is wasted on the YOUNG
