S | 28 | The Routledge Book of World Proverbs | Jon R. Stone

ABSTRACT

Russian Scratch a Russian and you ﬁnd a Tartar. (French) One Russian is a drunk; two Russians a chess game; three Russians a revolution; four

Russians a string quartet. (French)

Rust Better to wear out than rust out. (French) ‘If I rest, I rust’, says the key. (German) Rust wastes more than use. (French)

Sack A sack is best tied before it is full. (French) A sack was never so full but that it would hold another grain. (Italian) Bad is the sack that will not bear patching. (Italian) Let every man carry his own sack to the mill. (Danish) Nothing can come out of a sack but what is in it. (Italian)

Sacred Do not give that which is sacred to dogs. (Jesus)

Sacriﬁce Personal affections must be sacriﬁced for the greater cause. (Chinese) The sacriﬁce of an ox will not bring us all we want. (Roman) To obey is better than sacriﬁce. (the Bible)

Sad The sad detest the cheerful, and the cheerful the sad. (Roman)

Saddle A saddle ﬁts more backs than one. (Italian) Better to lose the saddle than the horse. (Italian) We have not saddled and yet we are riding. (Portuguese)

Sadness It is difﬁcult to feign wit when one is in a sad mood. (Roman) Sadness and gladness succeed each other. (French)

Safe, Safely A beaten track is a safe one. (Roman) A middle course is the safest. (Roman) Be afraid and you will be safe. (Irish) Be busy and you will be safe. (Roman)

Cheap things are safe from harm. (Roman) He goes safely who has nothing. (French) He may lie safely who comes from afar. (Italian) He that keeps out of harm’s way will gather goodly riches. (Danish) It is best to be on the safe side, it saves trouble in the end. (Danish) It is better to be safe than sorry. (American) Keep to the common road, and thou wilt be safe. (Roman) Safely bound, safely found. (English) The way to be safe is never to feel secure. (Czech) Things locked up are safe. (Roman) Things lost are safe. (Roman)

Safeguard From smooth water God preserve me, from rough I will preserve myself. (Spanish) From those I trust God guard me, from those I mistrust I will guard myself.