Common proverbs and their meanings

A thing of beauty is a joy forever

This is not exactly a proverb. It is from one of the poems written by Keats.
Meaning: The pleasure that beautiful people, objects and things give remains forever.

Time is the greatest healer

Meaning: As time passes feelings such as enmity, bitterness, sadness etc., become less keenly felt.

Touch pitch and be defiled

Meaning: You will get defiled if you maintain contact with bad people.

You can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink

Meaning: It is useless to give opportunities to people who are unwilling to take advantage of them.

Two heads are better than one

Meaning: When two people think jointly they can find better solutions because one person can make up for the deficiencies in the other.

United we stand divided we fall

Meaning: Groups have more power to act or resist than individuals acting alone.

Variety is the spice of life

Meaning: It is the variety of experiences that makes life more interesting.

Waste not, want not

Meaning: If you don’t waste anything, you will not lack anything.

What is done cannot be undone

Meaning: There is no point in worrying about something that has already been done because it cannot be undone.

Where there is a will there is a way

If you are sufficiently determined, you will find some way or other to obtain something you want.