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| A better seldom comes after. German. | 1 |
| Better a bare foot than none at all. | 2 |
| Better a beast sold than bought. | 3 |
| Better a blind horse than an empty halter. Dutch. | 4 |
| Better a distant good than a near evil. | 5 |
| Better a friendly denial than unwilling compliance. German. | 6 |
| Better a lame horse than an empty saddle. German. | 7 |
| Better a lean jade than an empty halter. | 8 |
| Better a leg broken than the neck. German. | 9 |
| Better a little fire to warm us than a great one to burn us. | 10 |
| Better a little good than much bad. German. | 11 |
| Better a little in peace with right than much with anxiety and strife. Danish. | 12 |
| Better a little with honor than much with shame. | 13 |
| Better a mischief than an inconvenience. | 14 |
| Better a red face than a black heart. Portuguese. | 15 |
| Better a salt herring on your own table than a fresh pike on another’s. Danish. | 16 |
| Better a tooth out than always aching. | 17 |
| Better abridge petty charges than stoop to petty gettings. | 18 |
| Better an upright Turk than a false Christian. German. | 19 |
| Better anticipate than be anticipated. Portuguese. | 20 |
| Better be ill spoken of by one before all than by all before one. | 21 |
| Better be stung by a nettle than pricked by a rose. | 22 |
| Better be the head of a cat than the tail of a lion. Italian. | 23 |
| Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. French. | 24 |
| Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry. | 25 |
| Better be unmannerly than troublesome. | 26 |
| Better be up to the ankles than over head and ears. | 27 |
| Better blow hard than burn yourselves. Danish. | 28 |
| Better coarse cloth than the naked thighs. Danish. | 29 |
| Better come at the latter end of a feast than the beginning of a fray. | 30 |
| Better deny at once than promise long. Danish. | 31 |
| Better fall from the window than the roof. Italian. | 32 |
| “Better fed than taught” said the churl to the parson. | 33 |
| Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay. Tennyson. | 34 |
| Better go about than fall in the ditch. | 35 |
| Better go away longing than loathing. | 36 |
| Better good afar off than ill at hand. | 37 |
| Better half an egg than an empty shell. | 38 |
| Better in the dust than crawl near the throne. German. | 39 |
| Better is a handful with quietness than both the hands full and vexation of spirit. Bible. | 40 |
| Better is an enemy to good. Italian, German. | 41 |
| Better is rule than rent. | 42 |
| Better kills good. German. | 43 |
| Better lang something than soon naething. | 44 |
| Better late ripe and bear than early blossom and blast. | 45 |
| Better late than never. French, Italian, Spain, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish. | 46 |
| Better late thrive than never do well. Scotch. | 47 |
| Better leave than lack. | 48 |
| Better leave undone than by your deed acquire too high a fame when him we serve’s away. Shakespeare. | 49 |
| Better make a short circuit than wet your hose. Dutch. | 50 |
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| Better master one than engage with ten. | 51 |
| Better once than never. Italian. | 52 |
| Better one eye-witness than two hear-say witnesses. Dutch. | 53 |
| Better reap two days too soon than one too late. Dutch. | 54 |
| Better repair the gutter than the whole house. Portuguese. | 55 |
| Better say nothing than nothing to the purpose. | 56 |
| Better see a clout than a hole out. | 57 |
| Better some of a pudding than none of a pie. | 58 |
| Better something on the arm than all in the stomach. Danish. | 59 |
| Better something than nothing at all. German. | 60 |
| Belter straw than nothing. Portuguese. | 61 |
| Better stretch your hand than your neck. Dutch. | 62 |
| Better the harm I know than the harm I know not. | 63 |
| Better there should be too much than too little. German. | 64 |
| Better they should say, “There he ran away,” than “There he died.” | 65 |
| Better to rule than be ruled by the rout. | 66 |
| Better to say, “Here it is” than “There it was.” | 67 |
| Better to wear out than to rust out. | 68 |
| Better too little than too much devotion. German. | 69 |
| Better twice remembered than once forgotten. Dutch. | 70 |
| Better unborn than unbred. | 71 |
| Better untaught than ill-taught. | 72 |
| Better walk before than behind an ox. Dutch. | 73 |
| Better walk leisurely than lie abroad all night. | 74 |
| Better walk on wooden legs than be carried on a wooden bier. Danish. | 75 |
| Better walk unshackled in a green meadow than be bound to a thorn bush. Danish. | 76 |
| Better wear out shoes than sheets. | 77 |
| Better where birds sing than where irons ring. | 78 |
| If better were in better would come out. Dutch. | 79 |
| Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien. | 80 |
| This and better may do but this and worse will never do. | 81 |
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