流传于民间口语中的谚语，伴随着文字的产生，开始出现在各种文学作品和文化典籍中。英语谚语有一部分来自书面文献，主要出自希腊罗马神话、寓言故事、莎士比亚戏剧以及一些名家作品中。这些源自文化典籍的“雅谚”，有些是在民间口语说法的基础上提炼打磨而成，有些则属独创，有着鲜明的文化色彩、语体特色和教育警策作用。 英语谚语以其令人们熟知的形象和比喻体现了人们世代积累的经验和形成的价值观，它们作为社会共享的口头文学的袖珍版本，被成百上千次地引用，成为说服他人的论据并用以指导日常生活。
1. A bad beginning makes a bad ending. 开头不好，结尾必糟。
2. A bad custom is like a good cake, better broken than kept. 蛋糕莫保留，坏习气要除掉。
3. A bad workman always blames his tools. 劣工咎器。
4. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 两鸟在林，不如一鸟在手。
5. A body without knowledge is like a house without a foundation. 人无知犹如房屋无基。
6. A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. 书是随时携带的花园。
7. A candle lights others and consumes itself. 蜡烛照亮了别人，燃尽了自己。
8. A door must be either shut or open. 门不关就得开，二者必居其一。 / 非此即彼。
9. A friend is a second self. 朋友是第二个自我。
10. A good beginning makes a good ending. 欲善其终 , 必先善其始。
11. A good medicine tastes bitter. 良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行。
12. A lazy youth, a lousy age. 少年懒惰，老来贫苦。
13. A life without a friend is a life without a sun. 人生没有朋友，犹如生活没有阳光。
14. A little help is worth a deal of pity. 一次行动胜过一筐空话。
15. A little is better than none. 有一点总比没有好。
16. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 一知半解，害已误人。
17. A little labour, much health. 常常走动，无病无痛。
18. A little learning is a dangerous thing. 浅学寡识是件危险的事。
19. A little of everything, and nothing at all. 样样皆通，样样稀松。
20. A man is never too old to learn. 活到老，学到老。
21. A merry heart goes all the way. 心情愉快，办事痛快。
22. A picture is a poem without words. 画为无言诗。
23. A snow year, a good year. 瑞雪兆丰年。
24. A thing of beauty is a joy for ever. 美好的事物永远是一种快乐。
25. A thousand mile trip begins with one step. 千里之行，始于足下。
26. A tree is known by its fruit. 观其行而知其人。
27. A word spoken cannot be recalled. 一言说出，难以收回。
28. A word to the wise is enough. 聪明人不用细说。
29. A work ill done must be twice done. 工作未干好，只得重返工。
30. Act fairly by all men. 一视同仁。
31. Actions speak louder than words. 事实胜于雄辩。
32. Adversity makes a man wise, not rich. 困难和不幸不能使人富有，却能使人聪明。
33. After rain comes fair weather. 否极泰来。
34. After supper walk a mile. 饭后百步走，活到九十九。
35. All are not friends that speak us fair. 说好话的不一定都是朋友。
36. All beginnings are hard. 万事开头难。
37. All men can't be first. 并非所有的都能获第一。
38. All roads lead to Rome. 处处有路通长安。
39. All things are difficult before they are easy. 万事开头难。
40. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. 只工作而无娱乐会使人愚钝。
41. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. 一天一个苹果，医生不来找我。
42. An empty bag cannot stand upright. 空袋子放不真。
43. An evil lesson is soon learned. 学坏容易。
44. An honest man's word is as good as his bond. 君子一言，驷马难追。
45. An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening. 一日之计在于晨。
46. An idle youth, a needy age. 少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。
47. An ill workman quarrels with his tools. 不会撑船怪河弯。
48. Art is long, life is short. 生有涯而知无涯。
49. As a man sows, so shall he reap. 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。
50. As one door closes, another door opens. 天无绝人之路。
51. As the wind blows, you must set your sail. 趁风扬帆。
52. As you brew, so you must drink. 自作自受。
53. Bad luck always comes in threes. 祸不单行。
54. Bad news travels fast. 坏事传千里。
55. Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing. 择友宜慎，弃之宜更慎。
56. Be slow to promise and quick to perform. 重诺守信。
57. Be swift to hear, slow to speak. 多听少说。
58. Beauty is but skin-deep. 不可以貌取人。
59. Beauty is truth, truth beauty. 美即是真，真即是美。
60. Better a little fire to warm us, than a great fire to burn us. 宁要小火暖身，不要大火灼人。
61. Better a little loss than a long sorrow. 宁可作点牺牲，不要长久悲痛。
62. Better ask twice than lose your way once. 问路两次胜过迷路一次。
63. Better be sure than sorry. 要安全，不要危险。
64. Better early than late. 宁早勿迟。
65. Better late than never. 这到总比不到强。
66. Better lost than found. 宁可丢掉，不愿找到。（常针对不喜欢的人或物。）
67. Better safe than sorry. 安全胜过遗憾。
68. Better small fish than empty dish. 盘中小鱼胜无鱼。
69. Better the last smile than the first laughter. 笑在前不如笑在后。
70. Better to ask the way than go astray. 多问不吃亏。
71. Better to be safe than sorry. 安全胜过遗憾。
72. Better to do well than to say well. 嘴勤不如手勤。
73. Better to have than wish. 现有胜过心想。
74. Birds of a feather flock together. 物以类聚，人以群分。
75. Bite off more than one can chew. 贪多嚼不烂。
76. Blood is thicker than water. 血浓于水。
77. Books and friends should be few but good. 择友如藏书，皆宜少而精。
78. Both together do best of all. 人心齐，泰山移。
79. Busiest men find the most time. 最忙的人时间最多。
80. Business before pleasure. 先工作，后娱乐。
81. Business is business. 生意是生意，交情归交情。
82. By doing nothing we learn to do ill. 一闲生百邪。
83. By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn. 教学相长。
84. By reading we enrich the mind; by conversation we polish it. 读书益智，交谈搏彩。
85. By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall. 团结则存，分裂则亡。
86. Call a spade a spade. 直言不讳。
87. Care and diligence bring luck. 细心勤奋，带来好运。
88. Care brings grey hair. 愁一愁，白了头。
89. Care is enemy to health. 忧虑有损健康。
90. Care will kill a cat. 忧虑伤神。
91. Children and fools cannot lie. 小孩和傻瓜嘴里没谎话。
92. Children and fools speak the truth. 童子吐真言。
93. Children are what the mothers are. 有其母，必有其子。
94. Children have the qualities of the parents. 有什么样的父母，就有什么样的孩子。
95. Christmas comes but once a year. 圣诞节每年只有一次。
96. Clothes don't make the man. 好马不在鞍，人美不在衫。
97. Clothes make the man. 人靠衣服马靠鞍。
98. Confidence in yourself is the first step on the road to success. 信心为成功之始。
99. Content is better than riches. 知足常乐。
100. Content is happiness. 知足常乐。
101. Custom is a second nature. 习俗是人的第二天性。
102. Custom makes all the things easy. 形成习惯，事事好办。
103. Cut your coat according to your cloth. 看布裁衣。
104. Deeds are males and words are females. 会说不如会干。
105. Delays are dangerous. 拖延误事。
106. Diamond cut diamond. 势均力敌。
107. Diligence is the mother of good luck. 幸运出自勤奋。
108. Diligence is the greatest of teachers. 勤奋是最伟大的导师。
109. Diligence is the mother of success. 成功来自勤奋。
110. Disappointment is the nurse of wisdom. 挫折哺育智慧。
111. Discontent is the first step in progress. 不满足是进取的第一步。
112. Do as I say, not as I do. 照我说的做，不要照我干的做。
113. Do as the Romans do. 入国问禁，入乡随俗。
114. Do it now. 说干就干，机不可失。
115. Do not attend to two things at a time. 一心不能二用。
116. Do not cry for the moon. 不要异想天开。
117. Do not try out before you are hurt. 不要没碰到就叫。
118. Do not cut down the tree that gives you shade. 不能过河拆桥。
119. Do nothing by halves. 不可半途而废。
120. Do on the hill as you would do in the hall. 人前人后一个样。
121. Do what you ought, and come what can. 但知行好事，莫要问前程。
122. Doing is better than saying. 空言无补。
123. Doing nothing is doing ill. 游手好闲就是学坏。
124. Don't bite off more than you can chew. 贪多嚼不烂。
125. Don't change horses in the middle of a stream. 病重不宜换郎中。
126. Don't climb a tree to look for fish. 不可缘木求鱼。
127. Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. 不要高兴太早。
128. Don't forget to cross your t's. 不要丢三落四。
129. Don't have too many irons in the fire. 贪多嚼不烂。
130. Don't judge a book by its cover. 书的价值不在封面。
131. Don't judge by appearance. 不可以貌取人。
132. There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
133. True love never dies.
134. Where there is love, there is life.
135. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
136. Shoot fro the moon, even if you miss you'll land among the stars.
137. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with heart.
138. Eat bread with pleasure, drink wine by measure.
139. Love is a fruit in season at all times.
140. Nothing in the world has ever been accompolished without passion.