English Proverbs Starting with I
In this lesson, we cover essential American proverbs that start with letter I with examples. You can use them in your daily conversations. Just follow examples and write them down a few times to learn them very well.
Proverb Recap
In our previous lesson, we covered English Proverbs Starting with H.
English Proverbs Starting with I with Meaning
Here is the list of American English proverbs starting with I with meanings:
Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.
(If you stay busy, you won’t get into trouble from temptation: sex, drugs, crime, etc.)
If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
(Do good work if a project is important.)
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
(Don’t give up; keep trying.)
If God had wanted humans to fly, he’d have given them wings.
(Human beings can’t fly naturally, so it goes against God’s grand design of the universe when human beings try to do seemingly impossible things, such as fly.)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
(If you aren’t having trouble with something, don’t change it.)
If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.
(Be suspicious of people or situations that offer a large benefit for very little in return. This is similar to, “You can’t get something for nothing.”)
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
(When you are faced with a bad situation, make the best of it and try to get something good from the experience.)
If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.
(Plan for disasters. No matter how much you prepare for the unexpected, something may still happens that surprises you.)
If the shoe fits, wear it.
(If a description is accurate, you must accept it as truth.)
If you can’t beat them, join them.
(Join the opposition if it is too strong for you to defeat it.)
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
(If a situation is too difficult for you, leave it. Don’t stay if you can’t handle the pressure.)
If you want something done well, you have to do it yourself.
(Sometimes the only person you can trust and rely on is yourself when it comes to getting something done correctly.)
Ignorance is bliss.
(It’s good not to know that something is happening. If you don’t know about something, you won’t worry about it.)
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
(A person who imitates or copies another person is doing so out of love or respect.)
Into every life a little rain must fall.
(Every once once in a while, bad things happen in our lives.)
It goes without saying.
(It’s not necessary to say something because it’s obvious to everyone what is true.)
It takes a thief to catch a thief.
(The person best qualified to find someone who is dishonest is himself dishonest.)
It takes one to know one.
(A person who seems to know the bad intentions of another person is himself guilty of those same intentions.)
It takes two to tango.
(You need another person to get something accomplished whether that activity is good or bad.)
It’s better to give than to receive.
(You feel better about yourself when you give charitably to others.)
It’s never too late.
(You can always do something, no matter how late, how old, or how far past a deadline it is.)
It’s no use crying over spilled milk.
(Once something has happened, you can’t change it, so try not to get too upset.)
It’s the early bird that catches the worm.
(If you go to a place early, you will get the benefit by arriving before other people.)
It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
(The more you complain and the louder you complain, the more attention you will get.)
Next Proverb Lesson
In our next lesson, we will cover English Proverbs Starting with J.
Related Proverb Lessons
None
English Proverb Outline
If you wish to see all HiCafe lessons related to English proverbs, you can visit the Common Proverbs in English page.
English Fluency Resources
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