# Proverbs meaning the opposite in English or other languages **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2025, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027 "2025-02-07T21:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/1 "2025-02-07T21:14:25Z")
In my native German, there are the proverbs “Gegensätze ziehen sich an” which directly translates to “Opposites attract”, and “Gleich und gleich gesellt sich gern”, which means something like “Same and same like to socialize”. So both mean the exact opposite of each other, though both are traditional “common wisdom”. Are there similar examples in English? Or in other languages that you speak? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/2 "2025-02-07T21:15:52Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > “Same and same like to socialize”. In English, ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ Here are a couple: ‘Look before you leap.’ ‘He who hesitates is lost.’ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/3 "2025-02-07T21:16:26Z")
Ah, good one, I didn’t remember that proverb. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/4 "2025-02-07T21:20:28Z")
“Works like a charm.” But… charms don’t work. Why not “works like a contractor with a high Yelp score?” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/5 "2025-02-07T21:36:55Z")
Wow. I’m almost 50 and never ever thought about what “charm” meant in that sentence and just parsed it as one syntactical unit. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/6 "2025-02-07T21:38:26Z")
Many hands make light work, but too many cooks spoil the broth. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/7 "2025-02-07T21:42:58Z")
The [Devil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_devil_is_in_the_details) is in the details. [God](https://artsandculture.google.com/usergallery/god-is-in-the-details/AAKyAHqomE5XLQ) is in the details. So, that means that God and the Devil are, um, you know, more than just friends? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/8 "2025-02-07T21:47:52Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > So, that means that God and the Devil are, um, you know, more than just friends? Well, absence makes the heart grow fonder. But: out of sight, out of mind… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/9 "2025-02-07T22:00:12Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > But… charms don’t work. Of course they do. All my life I’ve carried a charm to keep hyenas from attacking me. It hasn’t let me down yet! ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/10 "2025-02-07T22:16:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > In English, ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ And also “Opposites attract”; also in English. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/11 "2025-02-07T22:18:09Z")
Yes. @EinsteinsHund had that in the OP. I was rendering ‘Same and same like to socialize’ into the well-known English phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/12 "2025-02-07T22:19:58Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Well, absence makes the heart grow fonder. And absinthe makes the head grow funnier. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/13 "2025-02-07T22:21:53Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Yes. @EinsteinsHund had that in the OP. I was rendering ‘Same and same like to socialize’ into the well-known English phrase. Yes; but I don’t know whether @EinsteinsHund knew it’s also a saying in English, or whether they just happened to translate it into the English saying as a translation. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/14 "2025-02-07T22:24:24Z")
Nothing ventured — nothing gained.    vs Better safe than sorry. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/15 "2025-02-07T22:29:12Z")
Oh, there are also two German sayings in the same vein that oppose each other: “Wer wagt, gewinnt” - “Who dares, wins” and “Vorsicht ist die Mutter der Porzellankiste” which is a strange one, because it translates to “Caution is the mother of the porcelain box”, but you get the gist which is “be careful”. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/16 "2025-02-07T22:30:26Z")
“Clothes make the man.” “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/17 "2025-02-07T22:33:41Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > “Wer wagt, gewinnt” - “Who dares, wins” and > > “Vorsicht ist die Mutter der Porzellankiste” > > which is a strange one, because it translates to “Caution is the mother of the porcelain box”, but you get the gist which is “be careful”. ‘Who dares, wins.’ ‘Better safe than sorry.’ (As noted earlier by @Cervaise.) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/18 "2025-02-07T22:44:11Z")
Attack is the best form of defense. He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. Clothes make the man. You cannot judge a book by its cover. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/19 "2025-02-07T22:45:26Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. > Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. I have to admit that I’m more of the latter kind. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proverbs-meaning-the-opposite-in-english-or-other-languages/1014027/20 "2025-02-07T22:46:06Z")
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