Variety is the spice of life - Proverb for February 23

"Variety is the spice of life" teaches us to make our life interesting and to add to our life different experiences. It's easy to get into a rut in our life with routines and responsibilities.  This proverb teaches us to make life fun by adding some variety.

What you've never had you never miss - Proverb for February 22

"What you've never had you never miss" can be used to console someone who may have had their heart set on something that is no longer available.  Some examples would be someone hoping to land a certain job or hoping for a relationship with someone.  The meaning is simply that you should not feel you have missed out on anything and to just move on since nothing really has changed in your situation.

Enough is good as a feast - Proverb for February 21

"Enough is good as a feast" simply means that there is no need to have an excess of something.  We simply need to have enough of something since there is no advantage to having more than enough.

The best doctors are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet, and Dr Merryman - Proverb for February 20

The proverb "The best doctors are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet, and Dr Merryman" basically means that in order to live a healthy life, we need to have a healthy diet, have plenty of rest and have some enjoyment in our life. Most of our ailments stem from poor diet, a hectic life and stress and so these three pieces of advice will bring relief.

A cat in gloves catches no mice - Proverb for February 19

The proverb for today is "A cat in gloves catches no mice" and means that you cannot get what you want by being polite and pleasant.  The idea is that as a cat needs its claws to catch mice, we need claws to get what we want. I certainly wouldn't live by this proverb although there is certainly a time and place to be more firm and demanding.

It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive - Proverb for February 18

The proverb "It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive" teaches us to enjoy the process of accomplishing something as much as actually accomplishing it.  An example might be to enjoy the planning and the travelling to your vacation destination for this is all part of the experience.

Fair and softly goes far in a day - Proverb for February 17

"Fair and softly goes far in a day" means that we should be gentle and careful in our dealings with others and that this will have a better affect on them if we hope to make a positive impact.

The unexpected always happens - Proverb for February 16

The proverb "The unexpected always happens" teaches us to not to be overly confident that something will not happen to us.  We cannot think of or plan everything that might happen to us and should not be surprised by the unexpected.

Happy's the wooing that's not long a-doing - Proverb for February 15

The proverb for today is "Happy's the wooing that's not long a-doing" and teaches us that it is not good to have a long courtship before marriage.  Delaying marriage too long during the courtship may cause unhappiness however we should also remember that rushing into marriage is not always the best for a marriage either.

A faint heart never won a fair lady - Proverb for February 14

The saying "A faint heart never won a fair lady" is used to describe someone who is too scared to go after something they want.  The example is a man who is scared to approach a woman he is interested in and as a result he will not win her love.  The proverb encourages us to go after our dreams and to not be afraid of the possibility of rejection.

Patience is a virtue - Proverb for February 13

This is a very well known proverb and one of the earliest proverbs I remember hearing.  The proverb means that patience is a valuable quality and one that we should all strive for.  The definition of patience is to be able to tolerate or accept delay or trouble without getting upset or angry.  There is no question this is a good attitude to have in life.

No one should be judge in his own cause - Proverb for February 12

The proverb for today is pretty straight forward.  "No one should be judge in his own cause" means we should not be the one to decide if our own cause is right or wrong.  We can make and defend our cause but to judge it should belong to someone who is neutral.

Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs - Proverb for February 11

The meaning behind this proverb seems to be that there are some things we do that are for the benefit of our heirs.  Both Walnuts and Pears take time to grow and if we plant them ourselves we would not benefit from them for long.  Instead we would plant these for our children's benefit.  So this proverb encourages us to plan for the future generations.

None but the brave deserve the fair - Proverb for February 10

This proverb has a couple meanings.  One meaning is that a brave man deserve the fair woman.  Both qualities are desirable and therefore the best deserve the best.  The second meaning is that one who is brave will be have the courage to go for the woman he loves and encourages men to act boldly.

What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh - Proverb for February 9

The meaning of "What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh" is that certain characteristics we have inherited from our ancestors we will also pass on to our descendants.  This proverb is also often used to mean that we cannot hide or repress our character and that it will inevitably come out in our behavior.

Life isn't all beer and skittles - Proverb for February 8

The meaning to "Life isn't all beer and skittles" is that life isn't always pleasurable, it isn't always fun and games. It's worth noting that skittles in this proverb isn't a reference to the chewy colorful candy but is a reference to a game similar to bowling.

What can you expect from a pig but a grunt - Proverb for February 7

The proverb "What can you expect from a pig but a grunt" means that you can not expect a person to behave in such a way that is out of character for them.  Such people are stuck in their ways and can't be changed and we shouldn't expect more from them.  This is a rhetorical saying and isn't so much meant to be a true proverb as it is an insult to be used on someone who shows this behavior.

After dinner rest a while, after supper walk a mile - Proverb for February 6

The idea behind today's proverb is that dinner is a large meal and we benefit from taking it easy after such a meal to aid in digestion.  Supper on the other hand is a lighter meal and there is no reason to take it easy and in some cases a walk may even be beneficial.  While this may be a catchy proverb there doesn't seem to be much information about it or a strong case for it and so I personally don't find this proverb very convincing.

The rotten apple injures its neighbor - Proverb for February 5

The proverb for February 5 is "The rotten apple injures its neighbor".  This proverb teaches us that as a rotten apple in a basket will start to mold and cause the other apples near it to also begin to rot, so it is with a person of bad character who will influence those they are with to do likewise.  We would do well to be neither the rotten apple or the neighbor in this situation.

Out of debt, out of danger - Proverb for February 4

Our proverb for today teaches us that it is dangerous, and by extension unwire, to be in debt to anyone or to owe someone money.  Someone who has no debt has freedom and security for themselves but someone who is in debt to another is at risk of losing everything and never getting ahead.  Our lesson for today is to avoid debt first and get out of debt second.

Don't cross the bridge till you come to it - Proverb for February 3

The proverb for February 3rd is "Don't cross the bridge till you come to it".  The meaning of this proverb is that we shouldn't worry about something before we have to.  It can be pretty easy for us to dwell on things in our minds that are in the future or may never even happen.  Instead of worrying about something we should wait till we are facing the situation.

Least said, soonest mended - Proverb for February 2

The proverb "Least said, soonest mended" teaches us that the best action when we are in an argument or disagreement is to say as little as possible.  This will bring the conflict to an end quicker and keep it from escalating.  This is indeed wise advice that I need to remember in my own life.

If in February there be no rain 'tis neither good for hay nor grain - Proverb for February 1

As I come to February 1 in the "World's Greatest Proverbs" daily calendar we come to the proverb "If in February there be no rain 'tis neither good for hay nor grain".  This proverb means just what it says, that if there is no rain in February then the hay and grain will not do well later in the growing season.  Since I'm looking for practical lessons from these proverbs I have to consider what I can take from this proverb since on its own there isn't much I can do with this.  I suppose the main take away from this proverb is that in various areas of our life, it is good to have a strong head start.  Some practical examples of this would be do well at school to have a good work career or that being there for your kids when they are young will benefit them as they grow up.