Contradicting Proverbs: A Game

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

This idea came to me when my 20-month old son was put in his crib with his bottle of milk to go to sleep for the night. Normally, he just drinks his bottle and falls asleep. About a month ago, he started crying. I went in and found that there must’ve been a hole somewhere and most of his milk had leaked out.

So I said him: “No use crying over spilled milk.”

But I thought, that’s not right, if he didn’t cry I wouldn’t have given him a new bottle. So the correct proverb would be:

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

But that proverb wouldn’t work for other scenarios.

So the game is to use the previous proverb, currently “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”, and then describe a situation in which the proverb is incorrect, and then state the more appropriate proverb.

#2

Someone complains about their working conditions and demands a raise. They get fired. Clearly, the squeaky wheel did not get the grease.

“The nail that sticks up will be hammered down.”

#3

“You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

“You can judge a monk by his robes.”

#4

Look before you leap.

Unless you’re in a high-pressure situation in which making the correct decision instantly is critical, in which case He who hesitates is lost.

#5

Maybe I was not clear enough. You should use the previous poster’s last proverb, find a situation where it would clearly be wrong, and then state the appropriate proverb.

#6

Sorry.

Is there a proverb about reading isntructions?

#7

Strike while the iron is hot.

#8

Cold hammering is one way to make steel.
Haste makes waste…

#9

…time is money!

That said: I’ve never heard Cold hammering is one way to make steel, and in fact, I don’t quite get what it is supposed to convey… Urgh?

#10

There was a list of theswe in Ripley’s Believe it or Not, ages ago:
Great minds run in the same channerl
Fools think alike

#11

From Jacknifed second post, take the previous proverb and give a situation where it is clearly wrong. It’s clearly wrong if you want to make steel by cold hammering iron.

I forgot to give the “appropriate” response, instead I gave “haste makes waste” for the next person to do.