# The wisest (and funniest) Yiddish proverbs

"Man plans and God laughs", "Better to be cursed than pitied" and the warning about the goat, the horse and the fool: classic Yiddish proverbs in transliteration, with what they mean, from Wikiquote's collection.

- 30 votes · 17 items
- Feb 21, 2022 · Courtney R.
- https://even.best/en/l/5109/the-wisest-and-funniest-yiddish-proverbs

## Top 17

1. **Az men lebt, derlebt men.** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — If you live long enough, you live to see everything.
2. **Beser hern kloles eyder hern nebekh.** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Better to be cursed than pitied.
3. **Amol iz di refue erger far der make.** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.
4. **Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht.** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Man plans and God laughs.
5. **Af eyn shlog falt keyn boym nit um.** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — A tree doesn't fall with one blow.
6. **Az der shteyn ligt af eyn ort, vert er oykh bavaksn mit groz.** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — A stone that stays in one place gets overgrown with grass.
7. **A kluger farshteyt fun eyn vort tsvey.** (1 · ▲2 ▼1) — A wise man hears one word and understands two.
8. **Far a tsap hot men moyre fun fornt, far a ferd fun hintn, far a nar fun ale zaytn.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Beware of a goat from the front, a horse from behind and a fool from every side.
9. **Fun a khazer-shventsl ken men keyn shtrayml nit makhn.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — You can't make a shtreimel out of a pig's tail.
10. **Dos epele falt nit vayt fun beymele.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
11. **Geshvign heyst oykh geredt.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Silence is also a kind of speech.
12. **Akhre moys kdoyshim.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — After death, everyone is a saint.
13. **Zibn iz a lign, akht iz nit keyn emes.** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Seven is a lie, eight is not the truth.
14. **Af fayer zol men keyn boyml nit gisn.** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — Don't pour oil on the fire.
15. **Shtil vaser grobt tif.** (0 · ▲1 ▼1) — Still water digs deep.
16. **Di tsayt iz tayerer fun gelt.** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Time is more precious than money.
17. **A barg mit a barg kumt zikh nit tsunoyf, ober a mentsh mit a mentshn yo.** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — Two mountains never meet, but two people can.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.