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When you go to buy, use your eyes, not your ears. (Czech) Who buys hath need of eyes. (Italian)

Buy and Sell Buy low, sell high. (American) Buying and selling is but winning and losing. (English) Sell publicly and buy privately. (Spanish)

Buzzard, Buzzards Where buzzards, there death. (German)

Bygones Let bygones be bygones. (English)

Bystander The bystander sees more than the player. (English)

Cabbage He who would have good cabbage, must pay its price. (Danish) It’s no use boiling your cabbage twice. (Irish)

Cactus People go to the cactus only when it bears fruit. (Mexican)

Caesar Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. (Jesus)

Cage A fine cage won’t feed the bird. (French) A golden cage is still a cage. (Mexican) When the cage is ready the bird has flown. (French)

Cake You cannot have your cake and eat it. (English)

Calamity Calamities look for the luckless man. (Spanish) Calamities may come down from Heaven, but let us seek to be blameless. (Chinese) He who sees the calamity of other people finds his own calamity light. (Arabian) How weak are the hearts of mortals under calamity! (Roman)

Calf Do not search for a calf under an ox. (Turkish) Every cow licks its calf. (German)

Call, Called Be the thing you would be called. (German) Call me not olive before you see me gathered. (Italian) It is not what you are called, but what you answer to. (African) Many are called but few are chosen. (Jesus) No one calls to do you a favor. (the Editor)

Calumny Calumniate strongly and some of it will stick. (Roman) Hurl calumny boldly: some of it always sticks. (English) Nothing is so swift as calumny. (Roman)

Camel A camel that wants fodder stretches out its neck. (Persian) A camel with bells is not lost. (Turkish) Even a mangy camel will carry more than a herd of asses. (Roman) If the camel once get its nose in a tent, the body will soon follow. (Arabian) It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. (Danish) Little by little, the camel gets into the couscous. (Moroccan) One camel does not make fun of another camel’s hump. (African) The camel went seeking for horns and lost his ears. (Arabian) The camel, begging for horns, was deprived of its ears as well. (Roman) Trust in God, but tie your camel. (Persian)

Cancer Cancer – schmancer! – as long as you’re healthy. (Yiddish)

Candle, Candlelight A candle lights others and consumes itself. (English) A candle, no matter how bright it shines, cannot illumine tomorrow. (Chinese) Burn a candle at both ends, and it will not last long. (Scottish) By candlelight a goat looks like a lady. (French) Choose not a woman nor linen by candlelight. (English) Light a candle for God and another one for the Devil. (Unknown) The best candle is understanding. (Welsh) The candle that goes before gives the best light. (Dutch) The candle that goes before is better than that which comes after. (French) We are no more than candles burning in the wind. (Japanese) You may light another’s candle from your own without loss. (Danish)

Candor Candor breeds hatred. (Roman)

Canoe Do not kick away the canoe which helped you cross the river. (Madagascan) Paddle your own canoe. (English)

Cap If the cap fits, wear it. (English) Make the cap to fit the head. (German)

Capitalism Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true. (Polish)

Cards A pack of cards is the Devil’s prayer-book. (German)

Care, Cares Another’s care hangs by a hair. (Spanish) Care brings gray hairs. (Roman) Care brings on gray hairs, and age without years. (German) Care not for lost things. (German) Care, and not fine stables, makes a good horse. (Danish) Fretting cares make gray hairs. (English) He who takes no care of little things, will not have the care of great ones. (German) Want of care admits despair. (English) We are all consumed by cares. (Roman)

Careless, Carelessness Alert at the beginning, careless at the end. (Roman) Carelessness is a great enemy. (Japanese)

Carpenter A carpenter is known by his chips. (Roman) A carpenter may lend his wife but not his tools. (Korean) The worse the carpenter the more the chips. (Dutch)

Carry Every man must carry his own sack to the mill. (Danish) He can carry the ox who has carried the calf. (Roman) He is better equipped for life, as for swimming, who has the lesser to carry. (Roman) He who carries nothing loses nothing. (French) He who lets the goat be laid on his shoulders is soon after forced to carry the cow.