The British Council?s language clinic with ?Dr Danny?

Hello and a very warm welcome to the British Council?s English Language Clinic. This week we will be looking at ?proverbs?. From the Latin ?proverbium?, proverbs are commonly used phrases and expressions, which communicate advice. So, here is a selection of frequently used proverbs.

?Don?t put all your eggs in one basket.? Quite literally, if you do decide to put all of your eggs in the same basket and you drop the basket you risk breaking all of them. When used in conversation, it is understood to mean that it is not a good idea to concentrate all your efforts or money on one project.

?Many hands make light work.? This proverb is much more straightforward. The word ?light? is here used to mean ?easy?. So, the more people help, the easier the job will be. Is this always true?

?Too many cooks spoil the broth.? ?Broth? is a type of light, clear soup, quite a delicate dish. In direct contrast to the example above, this proverb advises that if too many people work on the same job, they will spoil it.

?Nothing ventured, nothing gained.? Synonyms of ?ventured? include ?risked? and ?gambled?. Idioms which describe the same idea include ?skating on thin ice? and ?putting your head in the lion?s mouth?.

Do you know or can you guess the meanings of these proverbs? People who live in glass houses shouldn?t throw stones. There?s no point crying over spilt milk.

Please send your comments, queries and questions to ?Dr Danny? by emailing the following address [email protected]

The British Council will be offering a limited number of places on an Intensive IELTS. Preparation Course beginning in the week of 21st May. To find out more about the course or any of the services we provide, please call on 403 0200.