Robert Christy, comp. Proverbs, Maxims and Phrases of All Ages. 1887.
Better
A better seldom comes after.German.
Better a bare foot than none at all.
Better a beast sold than bought.
Better a blind horse than an empty halter.Dutch.
Better a distant good than a near evil.
Better a friendly denial than unwilling compliance.German.
Better a lame horse than an empty saddle.German.
Better a lean jade than an empty halter.
Better a leg broken than the neck.German.
Better a little fire to warm us than a great one to burn us.
Better a little good than much bad.German.
Better a little in peace with right than much with anxiety and strife.Danish.
Better a little with honor than much with shame.
Better a mischief than an inconvenience.
Better a red face than a black heart.Portuguese.
Better a salt herring on your own table than a fresh pike on another’s.Danish.
Better a tooth out than always aching.
Better abridge petty charges than stoop to petty gettings.
Better an upright Turk than a false Christian.German.
Better anticipate than be anticipated.Portuguese.
Better be ill spoken of by one before all than by all before one.
Better be stung by a nettle than pricked by a rose.
Better be the head of a cat than the tail of a lion.Italian.
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.French.
Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.
Better be unmannerly than troublesome.
Better be up to the ankles than over head and ears.
Better blow hard than burn yourselves.Danish.
Better coarse cloth than the naked thighs.Danish.
Better come at the latter end of a feast than the beginning of a fray.
Better deny at once than promise long.Danish.
Better fall from the window than the roof.Italian.
“Better fed than taught” said the churl to the parson.
Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay.Tennyson.
Better go about than fall in the ditch.
Better go away longing than loathing.
Better good afar off than ill at hand.
Better half an egg than an empty shell.
Better in the dust than crawl near the throne.German.
Better is a handful with quietness than both the hands full and vexation of spirit.Bible.
Better is an enemy to good.Italian, German.
Better is rule than rent.
Better kills good.German.
Better lang something than soon naething.
Better late ripe and bear than early blossom and blast.
Better late than never.French, Italian, Spain, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish.
Better late thrive than never do well.Scotch.
Better leave than lack.
Better leave undone than by your deed acquire too high a fame when him we serve’s away.Shakespeare.
Better make a short circuit than wet your hose.Dutch.
Better master one than engage with ten.
Better once than never.Italian.
Better one eye-witness than two hear-say witnesses.Dutch.
Better reap two days too soon than one too late.Dutch.
Better repair the gutter than the whole house.Portuguese.
Better say nothing than nothing to the purpose.
Better see a clout than a hole out.
Better some of a pudding than none of a pie.
Better something on the arm than all in the stomach.Danish.
Better something than nothing at all.German.
Belter straw than nothing.Portuguese.
Better stretch your hand than your neck.Dutch.
Better the harm I know than the harm I know not.
Better there should be too much than too little.German.
Better they should say, “There he ran away,” than “There he died.”
Better to rule than be ruled by the rout.
Better to say, “Here it is” than “There it was.”
Better to wear out than to rust out.
Better too little than too much devotion.German.
Better twice remembered than once forgotten.Dutch.
Better unborn than unbred.
Better untaught than ill-taught.
Better walk before than behind an ox.Dutch.
Better walk leisurely than lie abroad all night.
Better walk on wooden legs than be carried on a wooden bier.Danish.
Better walk unshackled in a green meadow than be bound to a thorn bush.Danish.
Better wear out shoes than sheets.
Better where birds sing than where irons ring.
If better were in better would come out.Dutch.
Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.
This and better may do but this and worse will never do.