English quotes-quotations, proverbs, idioms, sayings

[Bathinda_Helper]

Topical/Famous Persons (English)

• John Kennedy: Forgive the fool but don’t forget his name.
• Winston Churchill: This is not the end (or WWII). It is not even the beginning of the end. It is perhaps the end of the beginning.
• Mark Twain: I would fail in a cause that will ultimately succeed than succeed in a cause that will eventually fail.
• Rabindranath Tagore: When you go for dissent of the state be prepared for the lament of the state.
• Tig Notaro: Not many people have had as much bad luck as I have, but not many people have had as much good luck, either.
• Sherlock Homes 2009: How terrible is the wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise? (in contrast: An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.)
• Dan Gable (Olympic Gold Medallist in Wrestling): When I got tired and wanted to stop I’d wonder what my opponent was doing. When I visualized him still working I’d start pushing myself. When I see him in the shower I pushed myself harder.
• George Orwell: Those who control the present, control the past and those who control the past control the future.
• Gandhi: The worst scenario is: pleasure without conscience; wealth without work; knowledge without character.

Famous Quotes from Movies

• The Rabbi: Person1- People are lucky and unlucky not according to what they get absolutely, but according to the ratio between what they get and what they have been led to expect. Person2- The unlucky are nothing more than a frame of reference for the lucky. You are unlucky, so I may know that I am not.
• Madagascar: I’m ten years old. My life is half over and I don’t even know if I’m black with white stripes or white with black stripes! 27, 28, 29, 30. Hmm, 30 black and only 29 white, looks like you’re black with white stripes after all. Dilemma solved. Good night!
• Madagascar: I’m telling you’a, its bad luck. If you want some bad luck, I’ll blab it out, But if you want to be safe, I’ll keep my mouth shut.
• Madagascar: Everything you need, will come to you at perfect time.
• Madagascar: Unluckily, this is all luck. मडगास्कर: बदकिस्मती से यह सब किस्मत का खेल है।
• Panda Warrior: You’d meet your destiny on the very road you took to avoid it.
• Panda Warrior: Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is gift, that’s why they call it present.
• Hereditary 2018: My Darling dear beautiful Annie. Forgive me (for) all the things I couldn’t tell you. Pls don’t hate me and try not to despair your losses. You’ll see in the end that they’re worth it. Our sacrifice will pale next to the rewards. Love. Mommy.
• Madari 2016 (2310 hrs): People don’t expect the rulers to have commoners fate.
• The Guest: (Awarding Posthumously) All gave some. Some gave all.

From Movie *‘Nothing But the Truth’*

• Some mistakes are like, wearing white after labour day. * But invading Russia in Winter is entirely a diff thing.
• A solution that comes in the form of a loss of integrity, is no solution at all.
• Government doesn’t care where a celebrity had dined last night.
• It does make a diff whether you’re standing for yourself, or, is it some principle you’re standing for.
• Howsoever a man may lead a good life, give charity. But in the end, it will be his family who’ll come to his rescue. (in the movie, wording was much long and different. To go near that wording: A man can lead a good honourable life, but in the end the number of people who come to his funeral, generally depends on the weather on that day).

A Letter came out open nearly 20 years after it was written by Amitabh Bachchan to a Media house (source) which was accusing him or getting some land violating some by-laws:

Respected ….
You come from Allahabad the city where I was born and brought up and where seven generations of my family were born and brought up. You are a poet as was my father. Without doubt you may have heard of him and perhaps read some of his works.
You have got this entire episode (comment: of land acquisition case) quite horribly wrong! My family and I are innocent bystanders in this entire episode. I am reminded today of my father’s famous lines:
Main chupana jaanataa toh jag mujhe sadhu samajhta, Shatru mera ban gaya hai chhalrahit vyvahar mera.
If I knew how to hide things the world would have considered me a saint, My greatest enemy sadly therefore has been my unblemished countenance.
Your literary eminence would undoubtedly assist you in ascertaining the deeper meaning of my father’s words. However the deliberate abuse of your intellectual mind by the media leaves me and my family with an even deeper wound.
I write this to you in absolute confidence. I would wish that you keep this communication private.
Respectfully and with warm regards,
Amitabh Bachchan
Mr. Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
English Department
Allahabad University, Allahabad

[Bathinda_Helper]

Famous Wrong Prophesies by Famous People

• Charles H Duell US Patent Office 1899: Everything that can be invented has been invented.
• Robert Millikan Nobel Prize (Physics): There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the Atom.
• Thomas Watson Chairman of IBM 1943: I think there’s a world market of maybe five computers.
• Harry M Warner Warner Bros. 1927: Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?
• Grover Cleveland US President 1895: Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.
• Western Union Internal Memo 1876: The telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication.

Resources of some Good English Proverb

1. List of Such Eng Podcasts on Player.Fm
2. Idioms & Proverbs Podcasts
3. English Proverbs on Mahashakti.com
4. English Proverbs Podcasts on Speak English
5. English Proverbs on Listen Notes
6. Proverbs based on Food Items on YourDictionary.com

[Bathinda_Helper]

Rhyming/Non/Semi Rhyming

Rhyming

1. Fish said to water: You can’t see my tears because I am in You. Water replied: But I can feel Your tears because I’m in you.
2. Eat your food as medicines otherwise you may have to eat your meds as your food.
3. Truth told with bad intent; beats all the lies you can invent.
4. A man is never so weak as when a woman is telling him how strong he is।
5. You are right if you think you can; you are also right if you think you can’t.
6. A horse that pulls cannot kick; a horse that kicks cannot pull.
7. Study as if you were to live forever Live as if you were to die tomorrow.
8. Takers eat well and givers sleep well.
9. Drinking makes a person lose his inhibitions and give exhibitions.
10. It’s not our position but our disposition that determines our destiny.
11. Failures are of two kinds: those who did and never thought and those who thought and never did.
12. The best ideas will not work unless you work the ideas.
13. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
14. Growing old is inevitable. Growing up isn’t.
15. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
16. Love kills time and time kills love.
17. Kingship knows no kinship.
18. Winners scheme (plan), losers dream. (should’n have been contrary?)
19. Winners choose what they say. Losers say what they choose.
20. Winners use hard arguments but soft words. Losers use soft arguments but hard words.
21. The total secret of success lies in two words persistence and resistance. Persist in what must be done and resist in what must not be done.
22. There is no friction, with proper diction.
23. Good sounds abound, with the mouth round.
24. There is many a slip between cup and the lip.

Somewhat Rhyming

1. A common man seeks security, an uncommon man seeks opportunity.
2. A duty which becomes a desire will ultimately become a delight.
3. Good judgement comes from experience. And lot of that comes from bad judgement.
4. Every thing you say to someone is going to build on their personality you can either build them up or break them down.
5. The crisis of yesterday is the joke of tomorrow.
6. To be a fool at the right time is also an art.
7. Nothing is more changeable than time and a woman.
8. A Skill is the mastery of complexity while Creativity is the mastery of simplicity.
9. Don’t compare apples to oranges; ants to elephants; honey to butter.
10. What may be done at any time, will be done at no time. What is everyone’s duty, is no one’s duty.
11. The hot iron is often cut by cold iron.
12. Time has strong teeth.
13. It takes time to build castles. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
14. While in Rome, do as Romans do.
15. A purposeless life is a living death.
16. Needs are essential; desires are infinite.
17. It is not enough to run; you must start on time.
18. You can’t buy an inch of time with an inch of gold.
19. As today you’ve made Yesterday a lie so will tomorrow do to you.
20. Be yourself. No one can ever tell you you’re doing it wrong.
21. No one can stop an (good or bad) idea whose time has come.
22. You’re loved when you’re born and after you die. In between you’ve to manage.
23. Don’t bite more than you can chew.
24. A closed mouth catches no flies. एक चुप सो सुख।
25. Food gives energy sleep preserves energy exercise awakens energy and then we just discharge that energy. (It is exactly like we earn for whole day and in the end throw the same into well, thinking it has become too heavy to carry)
26. Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.
27. Elvis is dead and I’m not feeling too good myself.
28. Elvis has left the building (show is over).
29. Good habits are hard to come by but easy to live with. Bad habits come easy but are hard to live with.
30. It is never too late for a good job; You don’t know how late is too late.
31. Resolve to be tender with the young; compassionate with the aged; tolerant of the weak and wrong; and sympathetic with the grieved. Because at times in our lives we would have been all of these ourselves.
32. A person who doesn’t accept responsibility is not absolved from being responsible.
33. Ego gives a swollen head while pride gives a swollen heart.
34. Treat people with respect on your way up because you will be meeting them on your way down.
35. It is permitted to be fooled than be a fool.
36. It is less painful to learn in youth than be ignorant as an adult.
37. Everyone has a will to win but very few have the will to prepare for the win.
38. Some excuses given by losers: See I’ve a poor memory; I’m not smart enough; I’m not good at Math; I’m not an athlete; I’m tired/weak; I’m past the point of getting success. But they forget that the Results count more than the reasons.
39. A good advice for failures is: Don’t think, don’t ask and don’t listen. Just rationalize.
40. “What is life’s heaviest burden?” The elderly replied “To have nothing to carry.”.
41. Success is a matter of luck, ask any failure.
42. Some people consider a rabbit’s foot lucky; but it wasn’t lucky for the rabbit was it?
43. Positive people know their limitations but focus on their strengths. Losers recognize their strengths but focus on their limitations.
44. We are drowning in information but starving for wisdom.
45. Remember a person’s character is not only judged by the company he keeps but also by the company he avoids.
46. Hard work is both a beginning and an end in itself. The harder a person works the better he feels; and the better he feels the harder he works.
47. Under adverse circumstances, some people break down while others break records.
48. When we give more than what we get paid for, we eliminate our competition, and we become the competition.
49. Half hearted effort doesn’t produce half results; they produce bad results.
50. Most people forget how fast you did a job but they remember how well it was done. / It is better to do less in a better way than doing more in an inferior way.
51. Take risk but don’t gamble. / Calculated risk is good, blind risk is gamble. / Acting irresponsibly shouldn’t be taken as risk taking.
52. Only that who is ready to take risk is free.
53. Lack of discipline isn’t freedom.
54. Only the educated are free.
55. Inspiration changes thinking; motivation changes action.
56. Substance is far more important that form.
57. There is a time to fish and a time to dry the nets.
58. It is never too late to ask what time it is
59. Money will buy a great dog but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

Full Prose:

63. Don’t compare your performance with other’s. Compare it against your potential.
64. When process of getting justice is bitter than the fruit of justice. Justice is no more relevant.
65. Don’t judge a person by his clothes.
66. A blind man is no judge of colors.
67. A man is known by the company he keeps.
68. Explain Yourself. Talk to the Point- Be Aware our your Talk. Don’t exaggerate your favors to others in your mind.
69. Have Broader Thinking. Fight Judiciously. Develop genuine empathy. Be dependable, predictable, reliable and committed. Keep evolving and enriching (yourself). Past glory and education don’t do it. We have to continuously sharpen the axe. Ask yourself when was the last time you sharpened your axe? Compare yourself against your capabilities.
70. Positive thinkers are like athletes who through practice build an inner reservoir of stamina that they draw on whenever in demand/in competition.
71. Once a year go someplace you’ve never been before.
72. Knowledge is mere information, just potential power. It becomes real power only when it is acted upon.
73. Ability without hard work and will-power/patience is a liability./ What a waste great talent without will-power and hard work is.
74. Our minds like muscles stretch or shrink depending on how much or how little we exercise them.
75. Today’s education is focused on how to make a living, not on, how to live.
76. If you want to build positive self-esteem quickly one of the fastest ways is to do something for others who cannot repay you in cash or kind.
77. Idle time is time wasted; leisure time is earned (by working hard/by being in discipline).
78. It took Noah Webster 36 years to compile Webster’s Dictionary.
79. How many doors can you knock to get your first sale. Ten twenty hundred…? But for the successful this number is not finite.
80. Dreamers keep saying I’d give up my life to do something or get something". While those on the path to success sacrifice their lives daily, without saying so. [Guitarist example].
81. A stone is a hindrance or stepping stone depends on your perspective.
82. Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who (persists in doing what) he thinks he can.
83. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
84. If people knew how hard I had to work to gain mastery it wouldn’t seem wonderful at all.
85. An average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put more than 50% of their capacity and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.
86. Everything that we enjoy is a result of someone’s hard work. Some work is visible and other goes unseen but both are equally important.
87. Know that courtesy and good manners take many small sacrifices.
88. A man is hero not because he is braver than anyone else but because he braver for ten minutes longer.
89. The best teachers will not give you something to drink they will make you thirsty.
90. Be content without lacking ambition.
91. There are three kinds of people: Those who don’t change even after the times have changed (they feel the change and keep wondering); those who try to change after the change/with the changing times, and those cause the changes.
92. Whether we feel so or not, we are either progressing or retrogressing/evolving or devolving/creating or disintegrating. There is no status quo.
93. Our friends are not the kind of people we want rather the kind of people we are.
94. It is easy to be average but tough to be the best. No wonder the average people take the easy way.
95. Negative motivation brings the desire to take the easier way, which ends up being the tougher way.
96. Do you have the patience to withstand the gestation period.
97. Our lives are not long enough to learn only from our own mistakes. Make a habit of learning from other’s mistakes too.
98. The saddest part of the most people’s lives is that they die with music still in them. They rusted out rather than worn out. So, try to wear out rather than rust out.
99. Steam won’t move the engine unless it is confined. Niagara Falls wouldn’t generate power unless it was harnessed.
100. Children brought up with excessive freedom and a lack of discipline grow up not respecting themselves their parents or society and have a hard time accepting responsibility.
101. An indicative list of people with poor self-esteem: They are bored and uncomfortable when alone; They make promises they know they are not going to keep.
102. A person with high self esteem would prefer loss of business than loss of credibility.
103. People with low self esteem go along to get along. They spend money they haven’t earned they buy things they don’t need; they try to impress people they don’t like. They have self indulgence rather than self discipline.
104. No one is too big or too busy to practice courtesy.
105. Humility comes from confidence whereas putting yourself down comes from the lack of it. Also, confidence without humility is arrogance.
106. In order for our children to turn out well we need to spend twice the time and half the money.
107. To make a child delinquent: Don’t discipline him and let him do what he wants. Provide instant gratification for all his sensual desires. Let him as much food-drink and comfort as he wishes.
108. Freedom is not procured by full enjoyment of what is desired but controlling the desire.
109. If I ever saw that a friend had had one drink too many I would put my foot down and not let him drive. I would rather lose the friendship than lose a friend.
110. Let teachers teach our child that it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas even if everyone tell him that he is wrong.
111. Responsibility gravitates to the person who can shoulder it.
112. When you accept additional responsibility you are actually giving yourself a promotion.
113. Talent without tact may not always be desirable.
114. Speak less, say more. Strike a balance between communication and convincing, speaking & listening.
115. Always listen to feelings not just the words.
116. An open ear is the only believable sign of an open heart.
117. He who has given you head, has also given you 2 ears.
118. Who likes to be around a grouch? None, except a bigger grouch.
119. Enthusiasm is a habit that one can acquire and practice.
120. Discuss, explain but don’t argue. Always be aware in a situation, even if you are right, is it worth arguing? Often the argument is coming from a closed mind trying to prove who is right rather than what is right?
121. If you say something you are pretty sure about and the other person doesn’t agree and is argumentative even if you can prove him wrong is it worth it? How long would you keep making your point once again?
122. It is not worthwhile to reason with a prejudiced mind; it wasn’t reasoned into him so you can’t reason it out.
123. A narrow mind with a big mouth usually leads to interesting but pointless arguments.
124. Don’t exaggerate. It is like an addiction. It becomes a habit. Some people can’t tell the truth without exaggerating it.
125. Sincerity is not always a sign of good judgement. Someone could be sincere yet wrong.
126. Make a habit of showing courage in the face of adversity; showing self-restraint in the face of temptation; trying to be calm in the face of pain/hurt; showing character in the face of despair; seeing opportunity in the face of obstacles.
127. When we permit ourselves to cheat once, may be in a small way, it is easier to do that second and then third time until it becomes a habit.
128. No possible gain can make up for the loss of your values.
129. Remember fear is learned behavior and can be unlearned.
130. In doesn’t matter where we are. What really matters is in what direction are we heading.
131. Just because you’re doing something doesn’t mean you’re getting somewhere. See the caterpillars.
132. The process of making a choice between two commitments would involve priority responsibility and duty.
133. If you are going to do something but are in doubt about its values ask yourself if your children/your parents would have been seeing this, would they approve/disapprove it, and the clouds will clear sooner.
134. Success is not measured by our position or level (in life) but by the obstacles we overcame to reach there.
135. The duck may appear smooth and calm on the surface but don’t forget her relentless paddling underneath./The duck appears smooth and calm on the surface but keeps paddling relentlessly underneath.
136. The most painful part of a commitment is accepting a breach when it occurs.
137. The world isn’t an obstacle to your success. Lack of hard work, commitment, persistence, priorities surely are.
138. Successful people are not ten times smarter than the people who fail. They may be better by a nose but the rewards are definitely ten times bigger.
139. With time and patience the mulberry (शहतूत) leaf becomes a silk gown.
140. It is only idle people who can’t find time for anything.
141. The mind is everything. What you think you become. You’re not a product of your circumstances but a product of your decisions.
142. Z: You’ve to decide if you’ve got more Chandragupta Maurya or Chanakya.
143. Beggars and borrowers cannot be the choosers./Don’t look into a gift horse’s mouth./Don’t count the teeth of a gift horse.
144. Teach your children to know the value of the thing not the price.
145. A woman’s wrath is more furious than hell.
146. Crisis consists of two words Danger and Opportunity in Chinese.
147. The problem with lying is that one has to remember one’s lies.
148. Truth can be doubted troubled upset but not defeated.
149. Do not take my silence to be defeat. I’m simply deciding not to encourage your stupidity. / ਸ਼ਰਮ ਕਰੇਂਦਾ ਅੰਦਰ ਵੜਿਆ ਮੂਰਖ ਆਖੇ ਮੈਥੋਂ ਡਰਿਆ।
150. There may be hundreds of reasons to give up but one reason is enough to hold up. / You’re only defeated the moment you think you are (defeated)./You’re not defeated till you think you’re defeated.
151. Know your limitations and be content with them. Too much ambition results in promotion to a job you can’t do!
152. A famous person once said, you need to be famous first.
153. Man can do what he will, but he cannot will, but he wills.
154. Nearer to Church, farther from God.