First Impressions
“All that glitters is not gold”, “Still waters run deep”, “Empty vessels make the most noise”: English is unusually well supplied with proverbs warning you off the surface of things. Most of them argue the same way — that the impressive thing is hollow and the quiet thing is not — which tells you something about the culture that kept them.
Practice this set for free — no account needed. Loads 12 flashcards into the learner. The learner asks it the other way round: meaning first, phrase second.
Practice in the free learnerHow to study this set
Sort these as you learn them into the two directions they run: some warn that something looks better than it is, others that someone is better than they look. Reaching for the wrong direction is the usual mistake.
All 12 flashcards
Swap question and answerDo not judge a book by its cover.
Appearance is a poor guide to what something really is.
“The place looks like a shed, but the food is extraordinary — don’t judge a book by its cover.”
All that glitters is not gold.
Attractive things are not always valuable.
“The salary looked wonderful until I read the hours. All that glitters is not gold.”
Appearances can be deceptive.
What something looks like can mislead you.
“He seems shy until you put him on a stage — appearances can be deceptive.”
Still waters run deep.
A quiet person often has real depth or strong feeling.
“She barely spoke all term, then wrote the best essay in the year. Still waters run deep.”
Empty vessels make the most noise.
The people with least to say are often the loudest.
“He dominated the meeting and proposed nothing. Empty vessels make the most noise.”
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
What counts as beautiful differs from person to person.
“You hate the building and I love it — beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
Beauty is only skin deep.
Good looks say nothing about the person underneath.
“He is charming to look at and impossible to work with. Beauty is only skin deep.”
Handsome is as handsome does.
People should be judged by their conduct, not their looks.
“She turned up at six in the morning to help him move — handsome is as handsome does.”
Clothes make the man.
How someone dresses shapes how they are treated.
“Wear the good jacket to the interview. Clothes make the man.”
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
The first impression is the one that sticks.
“Be early on Monday — you never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
A picture is worth a thousand words.
One image conveys more than a long explanation.
“Just show them the before-and-after chart. A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.
Withhold judgement until you know what someone is dealing with.
“He snapped, but his father is dying — don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.”
What to learn next
Next: what people are actually like, once you know them.
Continue to Level 2: Habit and Loyalty →