About a week ago I have started to compile 4-word proverbs structured ABAC like "Another day, another dollar."
So far - so good - now I have quite an impressive list of over 20 proverbs, idiomatic sayings, catch phrases etc.

Please contribute whatever fits my definition- The more - the merrier!

Any language welcome as long as it is a proverb, tongue twister, idiom etc. of exactly four words with the third word being the same as the first one.
Easy come - easy go" is ok, "Good accounts make good friends" or "As snug as a bug " - not accepted.

Within a week from the date of this post, I will provide both the original and the enlarged lists.

another day, another dollar
another day, another deadline
another decade, another squabble
as dull as ditchwater
as good as gold
as happy as Larry
as ugly as sin
bad bird, bad egg
bad egg, bad chick
bad head, bad heart
bad hen, bad egg
big walks, big lies
catch as catch can
claw me, claw thee
early ripe, early rotten
easy come, easy go
ever drunk, ever dry
first come, first served
free man, free goods
free ships, free goods
garbage in, garbage out
good tree, good fruit
good tree, good fruits
great talker, great liar
great wealth, great care
hackney mistress, hackney maid
half figs, half raisins
harm watch, harm catch
hot sup, hot swallow
ill begun, ill done
ill got, ill spent
light come, light go
like father, like son
like lips, like lettuce
like master, like dog
like master, like man
like mistress, like maid
like mother, like daughter
like pot, like cover
like priest, like church
like priest, like people
like prince, like people
like saint like incense
like saint like offering
little beard, little modesty
little bird, little nest
lovely women, lovely quarrels
many haws, many snows
many heads, many minds
many men, many minds
many women, many words
monkey see, monkey do
more days, more dollars
much coin, much care
much meat, much disease
much meat, much maladies
much money, muh friends
much talking, much erring
much taste, much waste
much worship, much cost
new day, new destiny
new doctor, new churchyard
new laws, new roguery
new lords, new laws
new times, new habits
no bees, no honey
no cross, no crown
no cure, no pay
no harm, no foul
no jealousy, no love
no labour, no oilcakes
no means, no market
no mill, no meal
no money, no honey
no money, no justice
no money, no Swiss
no names, no pack-drill
no pain, no gain
no pains, no gains
no penny, no paternoster
no sleep, no dream
no song, no supper
nothing venture, nothing gain
nothing venture, nothing have
nothing ventured, nothing gained
nothing ventured, nothing have
no wind, no waves
no work, no cake
one man, one vote
other days, other ways
other times, other counsels
other times, other folk
other times, other manners
other towns, other lasses
so got, so gone
soon fire, soon ashes
soon found, soon lost
soon grass, soon hay
soon learned, soon forgotten
soon learnt, soon forgotten
soon ripe, soon rotten
soon wise, soon foolish
the faster, the slower
the more the merrier
three brothers, three castles
three brothers, three fortresses
too little, too late
warm food, warm friendships
without debt without care
without knowledge, without sin
without learning, without eyes

assez parens assez tourmens (French: "many kinsmen, much trouble")
telle racine telle fueille (French: "as is the root, so is the fruit")
ein Mann, ein Wort (German: "one man, one word")
nicht Fisch, nicht Fleisch (German: "neither fish nor fowl")
ca' me, ca' thee (Scottish: "call me, call thee")
pelo canoso, pelo blanco (Spanish: "grey hair, white hair")
frende er frende verst (Norwegian: "kinsman is kinsman worst")
kreyol pale, kreyol comprann (Haitian: "creole Spoke is creole understood")
kreyol pale, kreyol komprann (Haitian: "speak plainly, don't try to deceive")
sposa bagnata, sposa fortunate (Italian: "spouse bathed, spouse fortunate")
aut disce aut discede (Latin: "either learn or leave")
aut homo aut nullus (Latin: "either a man or none")
aut pax, aut bellum (Latin: "either peace or war")
aut tace, aut face (Latin: "either be silent, or act")
cor ad cor loquitur (Latin: "heart speaks to heart")
et loquor et taceo (Latin: "I both speak and hold my tongue")
et manu et corde (Latin: "both hand and heart")
et marte, et arte (Latin: "both by strength and art")
et patribus et posteritati (Latin: "both for forefathers and posterity")
et suavis et fortis (Latin: "pleasant and brave")
et vi et virtue (Latin: both by strength and valor")
lex malla, lex nulla (Latin: "a bad law is no law")
male parta male dilabuntur (Latin: "what has been wrongly gained is wrongly lost")
O tempora, O mores! (Latin: "Oh the times! Oh the morals!")
per mare per terras (Latin: "by lands and by sea")
sic volo, sic iubeo (Latin: "I want this, I order this")
vox populi, vox Dei (Latin: "the voice of the people is the voice of God")

Edited on August 26, 2010, 4:55 pm

Posted by Dej Mar on 2010-08-26 16:49:53