The purpose of proverbs is to teach people
wisdom and help them understand the
insights of the wise. Some proverbs are
indeed worth abiding by, while others . . . Not so much. Many proverbs actually have an opposite proverb, making it hard to choose the one that actually speaks the truth. Still other proverbs are commonly misused and carry a different meaning today than originally intended.

10 Curiosity Killed The Cat

Actually: Care killed the cat.

The phrase “curiosity killed the cat” serves as
a warning to those who are too curious for
their own good. However, the proverb we
know today actually originated from “care
killed the cat,” with the word “care” meaning
“worry” or “sorrow.” The proverb was first
recorded in Ben Johnson’s play Every Man in
His Humour in 1598. It is believed that the play was performed by a troupe of actors that included William Shakespeare.

Later, without any scruples, Shakespeare
used the memorable line in his own play
Much Ado About Nothing: “What, courage
man! what though care killed a cat, thou hast
mettle enough in thee to kill care.”
In 1898, the original expression of “care killed the cat” was still in use when it was defined in Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: “It is said that ‘a cat has nine lives,’ yet care would wear them all out.” However, in that same year, the phrase was printed as “it is said that
once ‘curiosity killed a Thomas cat’ ” in The
Galveston Daily News . By the time it appeared in Eugene O’Neill’s play Diff’rent in 1922, the phrase had morphed into the one we so often use today.

9 Blood Is Thicker Than Water

Actually: The blood of the covenant is thicker
than the water of the womb.

“Blood is thicker than water” is often used to
imply that family ties are more important than duty to anything else. Today, we often use the phrase to remind one another that family bonds are far more significant than temporary relationships with friends. This is not at all what the phrase originally meant.

The original version stated, “the blood of the
covenant is thicker than the water of the
womb,” meaning that the bond between
comrades is stronger than your family
allegiance. Back in the day, the word blood
was taken quite literally and was referring to
the blood that was shed by soldiers on the
battlefield. “Blood is thicker than water” was
also used in reference to blood covenants
that people used to make by sharing the
blood of an animal or even by cutting one
another and mixing their blood together. Once the covenant was made, it bonded them for life and meant that they were committed to one another more than they were committed to their own brothers.

8 Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None
Actually: Jack of all trades.

Today, the proverb “Jack of all trades, master of none” is used in a derogatory fashion. Originally, the phrase was simply “Jack of all trades” and carried no negative connotations with it. In fact, it simply meant a person who could do a lot of things.

The name “Jack” doesn’t refer to any specific
person and is a generic term used to describe
the common man . Medieval “Jacks” were at
the bottom of the social ladder and made a
living through various trades that were
populated by Jacks, such as lumberjacks and
steeplejacks. In addition, the name “Jack”
was also added to many useful objects such
as smoke-jack (a roasting pit) or jack-plane
(a basic carpenter’s plane).

In the Middle Ages, there probably wasn’t a single trade that didn’t use a Jack of some sort. It was in 1612 that the phrase “Jack of all trades” officially entered the language, when Geffray Minshull wrote of his prison
experience in Essayes And Characters of a
Prison and Prisoners . The additional part of
the phrase, “master of none,” was only added in the late 18th century. In 1785, it appeared exactly as we use it now in Charles Lucas’s pamphlet Pharmacomastix , which detailed abuses common in the apothecary’s trade.

7 The Devil Is In The Details
Actually: God is in the detail.
Today’s version warns of mistakes to be
made in the small details of a project.
However, an older version of the proverb is
“God is in the details.” It means that attention
paid to small things will bring significant
rewards.
It is unclear who first invented and used the
phrase “God is in the details.” The proverb is
attributed to many influential figures ,
including Michelangelo. However, the figure to
whom the phrase is most commonly
attributed is the German-born architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. While it is most
likely that the phrase did not originate from
him, it was nevertheless referred to in his
1969 New York Times obituary. The phrase
was also commonly used by the art historian
Aby Warbug, although his biographer was
also hesitant to pin the phrase to him. An
even earlier version of the proverb, “the good
God is in the detail,” is usually attributed to
the influential French novelist Gustave
Flaubert. In Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations , the
source of the saying is simply listed as
“anonymous.”

6 Carpe Diem
Actually: Carpe diem, quam minimum credula
postero .
This Latin phrase is often translated as “seize
the day” in English, and it’s used to justify
spontaneous behavior in order to make the
most of that day. This, however, is not
entirely true. The phrase we think we know so
well is actually much longer: “carpe diem,
quam minimum credula postero ,” which means
“pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in
the future.” Thus, the actual phrase does not
encourage us to ignore the future, but rather
advises us to do as much as we can now for
the future.

5 Children Should Be Seen
And Not Heard
Actually: A maid should be seen, but not
heard.
Few know that the original proverb of
“children should be seen and not heard” was
once “a mayde schuld be seen, but not
herd” (a maid should be seen and not heard).
Thus, it was young women who were meant
to keep quiet .
The saying “Hyt ys old Englysch sawe: A
mayde schuld be seen, but not herd” was first
recorded in a 15th-century collection of
sermons that were written by an Augustinian
clergyman, John Mirk. A “sawe” was a
medieval term for a saying or a proverb.
To better understand why exactly it is that we
say children instead of maiden today, we need
to look at the word “mayde” and its meaning.
Today, we associate the word maiden with a
young, unmarried woman. But, back in the
day, it could have been any woman in any
context, and could have also meant children.
Interestingly enough, it could have also
referred to celibate men.

4 Mend Fences
Actually: Good fences make good neighbors.
The often-used proverb “mend fences” was
originally influenced by the earlier proverb
“good fences make good neighbors.” The
latter had been listed by Oxford Dictionary of
Quotations as a mid-17th century proverb.
“Good fences make good neighbors” initially
meant that neighbors respected one another’s
property by building fences, which reduced
the possibility of disputes over adjoining land.
The proverb was later popularized by Robert
Frost in his 1914 poem “Mending Walls.”
The shortened version is most commonly
attributed to the American senator John
Sherman. In 1879, he returned home to
Mansfield, Ohio, and made a speech in which
he included the phrase, “I have come home to
look after my fences.” Whether Sherman did
indeed return home to solely look after his
fences or not didn’t really matter. Most
people interpreted the phrase as a way of
implying that he had returned home for
political reasons, most specifically to acquire
support in the upcoming elections. Shortly
after, the phrase “mending fences” had come
to mean looking after your interests. However,
in the 20th century, the phrase came to mean
the rebuilding of previously good
relationships.

3 Money Is The Root Of All
Evil
Actually: The love of money is the root of all
evil.
According to the proverb “money is the root
of all evil,” all the immorality and wickedness
of the world is caused by money. However,
the phrase is a misquotation from the Bible ,
with the actual phrase being “the love of
money is the root of all evil.” It means that
evil and immorality are caused by peoples’
love of money, and not by money itself.
Other translations modify “the root of all evil”
to “the root of all kinds of evil” or “a root of
all kinds of evil.” In respect to the latter
alteration, it is said that there is apparently no
“the” in front of the word root in the original
language of the Bible. Thus, the phrase “the
love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” is
even further away from the false teaching of
the proverb as most of us use it today.
Wealth is morally neutral, and there’s nothing
wrong with money or the possession of
money. It is only when money begins to
control us that we should, according to the
Bible, become concerned.

2 The Truth Shall Set You Free
Actually: Same text, but with a different
meaning.
Today, this phrase is often used to encourage
people to reveal the truth, presumably after
they lied, in order to feel better. It comes from
the Bible, and different variations do exist,
depending on the translation. It is a popular
phrase and is used by many, regardless of
whether or not they have read the Bible.
However, the original context of the phrase
had very little to do with lying at all. In fact,
the phrase is actually the end of a longer
statement. Initially, the “truth” was meant to
represent Christianity , God, or Jesus, and the
“freedom” referred to any impediments, such
as sin or ignorance. Thus, “the truth will set
you free” originally meant that if you become
a Christian, the truth (Jesus), will set you free
from the slavery of sin.

1 Speak Of The Devil
Actually: Speak of the devil and he will
appear.
Today, the saying “speak of the devil” is used
as a way of acknowledging the coincidence of
a person arriving at the exact time they were
being talked about by others. Nothing sinister
is implied by the phrase, and the word “devil”
is simply used as a term of expression.
However, prior to the 20th century, the
original proverb carried a slightly more
ominous meaning.
The original phrase, “speak of the devil and
he will appear,” was seen in various Latin and
Old English texts from the 16th century. It
was first recorded by Giovanni Torriano in
Piazza Universale in 1666 as, “The English say,
Talk of the Devil, and he’s presently at your
elbow.” The proverb was well known by the
mid-17th century and expressed the belief
that it was dangerous to talk about or
mention the devil by name. While most
people did not express their belief that the
pure mention of the devil’s name itself would
cause him to appear, his reference was still
thought to be unlucky and best to be avoided.
It was around the 19th century that the
original meaning of the phrase began to
wane. Instead, it began to serve as a warning
against eavesdropping.

Interesting.....

Kk

Wow...nice

nice one.....9 got me thinking. .

enlightening

Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None
Actually: Jack of all trades.
Today, the proverb “Jack of all trades, master of none” is used in a derogatory fashion.
Originally, the phrase was simply “Jack of all trades” and carried no negative connotations with it. In fact, it simply meant a person who could do a lot of things.

Understanding is needed!
English language is not really reliable and very unstable

Insightful!

I've actually learnt a lot by reading this piece.

OP, thanks

tocineworld:
I've actually learnt a lot by reading this piece.

OP, thanks

u welcome sire

wow!!... this is quite an interesting and educating piece