Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society's values and beliefs is its proverbs.
The graphic to the right shows the words that are used in English proverbs, with the size of each word indicating how often it occurs (click for a bigger image). It's interesting to note that the two most common words in English proverbs are 'good' and 'never'. A bit of armchair psychology leads to the conclusion that, if proverbs really do reflect belief, then the English are (or at least were when these proverbs were coined) inclined to be virtuous but negative - not so far from the truth perhaps? 
Proverbs are short and pithy sayings that express some traditionally held truth. They are usually metaphorical and often, for the sake of memorability, alliterative. And, as so many proverbs offer advice and uplift, many of them are religious in origin. Here's an additional list of biblical proverbs.
A bad penny always turns up
A barking dog never bites
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
A change is as good as a rest
A drowning man will clutch at a straw
A fish always rots from the head down
A fool and his money are soon parted
A friend in need is a friend indeed
A golden key can open any door
A good beginning makes a good ending
A house divided against itself cannot stand
A person is known by the company he keeps
A house is not a home
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
A leopard cannot change its spots
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
A little learning is a dangerous thing
A little of what you fancy does you good
A man is known by his friends
A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for his client
A new broom sweeps clean
A nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse
A penny saved is a penny earned
A picture paints a thousand words
A place for everything and everything in its place
A poor workman always blames his tools
A person is known by the company he keeps
A problem shared is a problem halved
A prophet is not recognized in his own land
A rising tide lifts all boats
A rolling stone gathers no moss
A soft answer turneth away wrath
A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
A trouble shared is a trouble halved
A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men
A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke
A woman's place is in the home
A woman's work is never done
A word to the wise is enough
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Absolute power corrupts absolutely
Accidents will happen (in the best-regulated families).
Actions speak louder than words
Adversity makes strange bedfellows
After a storm comes a calm
All good things come to he who waits
All good things must come to an end
All is grist that comes to the mill
All publicity is good publicity
All roads lead to Rome
All the world loves a lover
All things come to those who wait
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All you need is love
All's fair in love and war
All's for the best in the best of all possible worlds
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
An army marches on its stomach
An Englishman's home is his castle
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Another day, another dollar
Any port in a storm
Appearances can be deceptive
April is the cruellest month
April showers bring forth May flowers
As you make your bed, so you must lie upon it
Ask a silly question and you'll get a silly answer
Ask no questions and hear no lies
Attack is the best form of defence
Bad money drives out good
Bad news travels fast
Barking dogs seldom bite
Be careful what you wish for
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Beggars should not be choosers
Behind every great man there's a great woman
Better safe than sorry
Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't
Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak and remove all doubt
Beware of Greeks bearing gifts
Big fish eat little fish
Birds of a feather flock together
Blue are the hills that are far away
Boys will be boys
Business before pleasure
Caesar's wife must be above suspicion
Carpe diem (Pluck the day; Seize the day)
Charity covers a multitude of sins
Cheaters never win and winners never cheat
Cheats never prosper
Children and fools tell the truth
Children should be seen and not heard
Christmas comes but once a year
Cleanliness is next to godliness
Clothes maketh the man
Cold hands, warm heart
Count your blessings
Cowards may die many times before their death
Crime doesn't pay
Cut your coat to suit your cloth
Dead men tell no tales
Discretion is the better part of valour
Distance lends enchantment to the view
Do as I say, not as I do
Do unto others as you would have them do to you
Don't bite the hand that feeds you
Don't burn your bridges behind you
Don't cross the bridge till you come to it
Don't cut off your nose to spite your face
Don't get mad, get even
Don't leave your manners on the doorstep
Don't let the grass grow under your feet
Don't meet troubles half-way
Don't mix business with pleasure
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
Don't put new wine into old bottles
Don't rock the boat
Don't shoot the messenger
Don't spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar
Don't sweat the small stuff
Don't throw pearls to swine
Don't trust anyone over thirty
Don't try to run before you can walk
Don't wash your dirty linen in public Doubt is the beginning not the end of wisdom Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise East is east, and west is west East, west, home's best Easy come, easy go Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die Empty vessels make the most noise Enough is as good as a feast Enough is enough Even a worm will turn Every cloud has a silver lining Every little helps Every man for himself, and the Devil take the hindmost Every picture tells a story Every stick has two ends Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die Everything comes to him who waits Failing to plan is planning to fail Faint heart never won fair lady Fair exchange is no robbery Familiarity breeds contempt Feed a cold and starve a fever Finders keepers, losers weepers First come, first served First impressions are the most lasting First things first Fish always stink from the head down Fish and guests smell after three days Flattery will get you nowhere Fools rush in where angels fear to tread For everything there is a season For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the man was lost Forgive and forget Fortune favours the brave From the sublime to the ridiculous is only one step Genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day... Give a dog a bad name and hang him Give a man enough rope and he will hang himself Give credit where credit is due Go the extra mile God helps those who help themselves Good fences make good neighbours Good talk saves the food Good things come to those who wait Half a loaf is better than no bread Handsome is as handsome does Hard work never did anyone any harm Haste makes waste He that goes a-borrowing, goes a-sorrowing He who can does, he who cannot, teaches He who fights and runs away, may live to fight another day He who hesitates is lost He who laughs last laughs longest He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword He who pays the piper calls the tune He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned Hindsight is always twenty-twenty History repeats itself Home is where the heart is Hope springs eternal Horses for courses If anything can go wrong, it will If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well If at first you don't succeed try, try and try again If God had meant us to fly he'd have given us wings If ifs and ands were pots and pans there'd be no work for tinkers If it ain't broke, don't fix it If life deals you lemons, make lemonade If the mountain won't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain If wishes were horses, beggars would ride If you build it they will come If you can't be good, be careful If you can't beat em, join em If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys If you want a thing done well, do it yourself Ignorance is bliss Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery In for a penny, in for a pound In the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king In the midst of life we are in death Into every life a little rain must fall It ain't over till the fat lady sings It goes without saying It is best to be on the safe side It is better to give than to receive It is easy to be wise after the event It takes a thief to catch a thief It takes all sorts to make a world It takes one to know one It takes two to tango It's never too late It's no use crying over spilt milk It's no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted It's the empty can that makes the most noise It's the singer not the song It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease Jack of all trades, master of none Judge not, that ye be not judged Keep your friends close and your enemies closer Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone Laughter is the best medicine Least said, soonest mended Let bygones be bygones Let not the sun go down on your wrath Let sleeping dogs lie Let the dead bury the dead Let the punishment fit the crime Let well alone Life is just a bowl of cherries Life is what you make it Lightning never strikes twice in the same place Like father, like son Little pitchers have big ears Little strokes fell great oaks Little things please little minds Live and learn Live for today for tomorrow never comes Love of money is the root of all evil Love makes the world go round Love will find a way Make love not war Man does not live by bread alone Manners maketh man Many a true word is spoken in jest Many are called but few are chosen Many hands make light work March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers Marriages are made in heaven Marry in haste, repent at leisure Might is right Mighty oaks from little acorns grow Misery loves company Moderation in all things Monday's child is fair of face, Money doesn't grow on trees Money isn't everything Money makes the world go round Money talks More haste, less speed Music has charms to soothe the savage breast Nature abhors a vacuum Necessity is the mother of invention Needs must when the devil drives Never give a sucker an even break Never go to bed on an argument Never judge a book by its cover Never let the sun go down on your anger Never look a gift horse in the mouth Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today Never speak ill of the dead Never tell tales out of school Nine tailors make a man No man can serve two masters No news is good news No one can make you feel inferior without your consent No pain, no gain Nothing new under the sun Nothing is certain but death and taxes Nothing ventured, nothing gained Oil and water don't mix Old soldiers never die, they just fade away Once a thief, always a thief Once bitten, twice shy One good turn deserves another One half of the world does not know how the other half lives One hand washes the other One man's meat is another man's poison One might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb One law for the rich and another for the poor One swallow does not make a summer One volunteer is worth ten pressed men One year's seeding makes seven years weeding Only fools and horses work Opportunity never knocks twice at any man's door Parsley seed goes nine times to the Devil Patience is a virtue Pearls of wisdom Penny wise and pound foolish People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones Possession is nine points of the law Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely Practice makes perfect Practice what you preach Prevention is better than cure Pride goes before a fall Procrastination is the thief of time Rain before seven, fine before eleven Red sky at night shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning Revenge is a dish best served cold Revenge is sweet Rome wasn't built in a day See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all day See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil Seeing is believing Seek and ye shall find Set a thief to catch a thief Shrouds have no pockets Slow but sure Softly, softly, catchee monkey Spare the rod and spoil the child Speak as you find Speak softly and carry a big stick Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me Still waters run deep Stupid is as stupid does Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves Talk is cheap Talk of the Devil, and he is bound to appear Tell the truth and shame the Devil That which does not kill us makes us stronger The age of miracles is past The apple never falls far from the tree The best defence is a good offence The best is the enemy of the good The best-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley The best things in life are free The bigger they are, the harder they fall The bottom line is the bottom line The boy is father to the man The bread always falls buttered side down The child is the father of the man The cobbler always wears the worst shoes The course of true love never did run smooth The darkest hour is just before the dawn The devil finds work for idle hands to do The devil looks after his own The early bird catches the worm The end justifies the means The exception which proves the rule The female of the species is more deadly than the male The fruit does not fall far from the tree The good die young The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world The husband is always the last to know The labourer is worthy of his hire The leopard does not change his spots The longest journey starts with a single step The more the merrier The more things change, the more they stay the same The only good Indian is a dead Indian The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings The pen is mightier than sword The price of liberty is eternal vigilance The proof of the pudding is in the eating The road to hell is paved with good intentions The shoemaker's son always goes barefoot The squeaking wheel gets the grease The way to a man's heart is through his stomach The whole is greater than the sum of the parts There are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream There are none so blind as those, that will not see There are two sides to every question There but for the grace of God, go I There's always more fish in the sea There's honour among thieves There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip There's no accounting for tastes There's no fool like an old fool There's no place like home There's no smoke without fire There's no time like the present There's none so blind as those who will not see There's none so deaf as those who will not hear There's nowt so queer as folk There's safety in numbers They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas Time flies Time is a great healer Time is money Time will tell To err is human; to forgive divine To every thing there is a season To the victor go the spoils To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive Tomorrow never comes Too many cooks spoil the broth Truth is stranger than fiction Two blacks don't make a white Two is company, but three's a crowd Two wrongs don't make a right Variety is the spice of life Virtue is its own reward Walls have ears Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs Waste not want not What can't be cured must be endured What goes up must come down What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander When in Rome, do as the Romans do When the cat's away the mice will play When the going gets tough, the tough get going When the oak is before the ash, then you will only get a splash; when the ash is before the oak, then you may expect a soak What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over Where there's a will there's a way Where there's muck there's brass While there's life there's hope Whom the Gods love die young Why keep a dog and bark yourself? Wonders will never cease Work expands so as to fill the time available Worrying never did anyone any good You are never too old to learn You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family You can have too much of a good thing You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink You can't have your cake and eat it You can't get blood out of a stone You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs You can't make bricks without straw You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds You can't teach an old dog new tricks You can't judge a book by its cover You can't win them all You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar You pays your money and you takes your choice You win some, you lose some Youth is wasted on the young
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go,
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for its living,
And a child that's born on the Sabbath day
Is fair and wise and good and gay.
