# Sayings you've found to be true. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493 "2008-09-07T15:52:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/1 "2008-09-07T15:52:31Z")
I was having a conversation with my husband yesterday about how much we both hate repeating commonly-used sayings. But we both agree that a lot of them are relatively timeless. One of the sayings applicable to our conversation was “Education begins at home.” (For background, we were talking about a friend’s wife who informed me that she expects her son’s pre-school to teach him manners and responsibility, which is all well and good, but she eschews any responsibility for doing so at home. But that’s somewhat beside the point.) Anyway, other sayings that ring true for me: “Manners never go out of style.” “Home is where the heart is.” (Well, not always - it’s usually spread among friends, too - but hopefully at least some of it is at home.) “Don’t shit where you eat.” (I wish my cats caught on to this one.) Any others people can think of? ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/2 "2008-09-07T16:10:20Z")
Life’s a bitch and then you marry one (with the order reversed) ---
**Author:** ![Emergency911](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@Emergency911](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emergency911)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/3 "2008-09-07T16:39:34Z")
Took me a while to figure this out, but I worked with a guy that used to say: “Same circus, different clowns.” It took me several jobs after working with him to figure out that he was right. No matter where you go, there will be headaches, it’s up to you to figure out which ones you want to work with. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/4 "2008-09-07T16:48:36Z")
Oh, lots of them, including the contradicting ones. I think my favorite is one my dad always used to say: “It’s hard to soar like an eagle when you’re surrounded by turkeys.” Equally applicable to his office and my social circle at school. If you want to succeed, stop hanging out with losers! ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/5 "2008-09-07T16:58:41Z")
Eagles may soar, but weasels don’t get sucked into jet engines. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/6 "2008-09-07T17:22:52Z")
> [@Emergency911](#): > > Took me a while to figure this out, but I worked with a guy that used to say: > > “Same circus, different clowns.” > > It took me several jobs after working with him to figure out that he was right. No matter where you go, there will be headaches, it’s up to you to figure out which ones you want to work with. Two Spanish versions: \*el mismo perro con distinto collar: \*“same dog, different collar,” particularly adequate during organizational changes, or right after changing jobs and discovering the new boss is the old one’s twin. \*en todas partes cuecen habas(, y en la mía a calderadas): \*“everywhere they cook beans, and back at my place by the potful”. When only the first part is used, it’s normally to indicate that moving away from problems doesn’t solve them. Also, that while beans are gassy everywhere… at least at home you already know the recipe. A favorite of mine is _cree el ladrón que todos son de su condición_: “a thief believes that everybody is like him”; i.e., that everybody wants to steal and those who don’t do it, it’s because they can’t find a way to do it without being caught. It sounds cynical, but I’ve come to realize that in general people who refuse to trust others can’t themselves be trusted. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/7 "2008-09-07T17:58:02Z")
_If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself._ Of course, I am a paranoid-android obsessive-compulsive, so YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/8 "2008-09-07T18:51:48Z")
Is the clown/circus thing the same as “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?” One I’ve found to be true is “Make sure your brain is in gear before revving up the mouth.” ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/9 "2008-09-07T18:52:01Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > A favorite of mine is _cree el ladrón que todos son de su condición_: “a thief believes that everybody is like him”; i.e., that everybody wants to steal and those who don’t do it, it’s because they can’t find a way to do it without being caught. It sounds cynical, but I’ve come to realize that in general people who refuse to trust others can’t themselves be trusted. This is a good one, and one that I could have used several times over the past few years in politician scandal threads! (Why is it that the ones caught having gay sex are demonstrable homophobes? Or anti-child pornography crusaders caught with child porn? Or anti-drug zealots caught with illegal drugs? Because they’re afraid everyone has the same nasty dirty thoughts they do, and that must be stopped!) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/10 "2008-09-07T18:52:46Z")
Once a bitch, always a bitch. Men marry their mothers. At least in certain areas. ---
**Author:** ![Ragiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ragiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragiel)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/11 "2008-09-07T19:15:58Z")
“Eavesdroppers never hear good about themselves.” ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/12 "2008-09-07T19:16:09Z")
“You cannot push a rope.”, if you have a husband, truer words never spoken. ---
**Author:** ![Moment\_Slayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Moment\_Slayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moment_Slayer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/13 "2008-09-07T19:34:23Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > I was having a conversation with my husband yesterday about how much we both hate repeating commonly-used sayings. But we both agree that a lot of them are relatively timeless. One of the sayings applicable to our conversation was > > “Education begins at home.” > > (For background, we were talking about a friend’s wife who informed me that she expects her son’s pre-school to teach him manners and responsibility, which is all well and good, but she eschews any responsibility for doing so at home. But that’s somewhat beside the point.) > > Anyway, other sayings that ring true for me: > > “Manners never go out of style.” > > “Home is where the heart is.” (Well, not always - it’s usually spread among friends, too - but hopefully at least some of it is at home.) > > “Don’t shit where you eat.” (I wish my cats caught on to this one.) > > Any others people can think of? The mind, like a parachute, only functions when open. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/14 "2008-09-07T21:19:05Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] A favorite of mine is cree el ladrón que todos son de su condición: “a thief believes that everybody is like him”; i.e., that everybody wants to steal and those who don’t do it, it’s because they can’t find a way to do it without being caught. It sounds cynical, but I’ve come to realize that in general people who refuse to trust others can’t themselves be trusted. [/QUOTE] He. We have the exact same one in Norwegian. “Tyv tror hver mann stjeler”, a thief believes everyone steals. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/15 "2008-09-07T22:30:06Z")
Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re NOT out to get you. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/16 "2008-09-07T22:56:23Z")
More advice than a “saying,” but… “Keep your eye on the ball.” Literally, it made me able to actually hit a baseball… Joe ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/17 "2008-09-07T22:59:44Z")
Practice makes perfect. Actually, I have found that to NOT be true. Practice makes habit. Perfect practice makes perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/18 "2008-09-07T23:04:10Z")
“Actions speak louder than words.” Driven home to me early in life by the boyfriend who kept swearing he loved me and kept cheating on me. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/19 "2008-09-07T23:06:36Z")
Think/preview twice, post once. Back in the days before mere mortals could edit, this was your only way to avoid having a broken quote tag or two mess everything up spectacularly. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493/20 "2008-09-07T23:20:01Z")
While the poor people sleepin’ With the shade on the light While the poor people sleepin’ All the stars come out at night [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sayings-youve-found-to-be-true/462493.md?page=2)