# The Proverb Gallows
> Guess the hidden proverb letter by letter: six tries, 40 classic English proverbs, and every solved proverb shows its meaning.
**In brief.** The hidden proverb gives itself up letter by letter, with at most six wrong guesses. A solved proverb shows its short meaning. No proverb repeats before you have seen all 40.
## The game
The game hides one classic English proverb at a time. In the interactive version, you pick letters on the screen keyboard or type them with your own keyboard; each letter can be tried once per round.
Rules: six wrong guesses are allowed, and every miss adds one stroke to the gallows drawing: head, trunk, two arms, two legs. Spaces and punctuation marks show from the start. A solved proverb shows its meaning and extends the winning streak; six misses reveal the whole proverb and break the streak. The list holds 40 proverbs, with no repeats before its end.
## The 40 proverbs, with meanings
1. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. — Never spend a gain you do not hold yet.
2. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. — Children take after parents.
3. A stitch in time saves nine. — Mend a small fault now before it grows.
4. Actions speak louder than words. — Deeds weigh more than promises.
5. All that glitters is not gold. — Fine appearances can deceive.
6. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. — Healthy habits ward off illness.
7. Barking dogs seldom bite. — Loud threats rarely turn into deeds.
8. Better late than never. — A late deed beats none at all.
9. Better safe than sorry. — Caution costs less than regret.
10. Birds of a feather flock together. — People seek company like themselves.
11. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. — Hold a sure gain over a risky promise.
12. Blood is thicker than water. — Family ties run deepest.
13. Don't judge a book by its cover. — Looks do not show true worth.
14. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. — Spread your risk across chances.
15. The early bird catches the worm. — Acting first brings the prize.
16. Every cloud has a silver lining. — Every trouble hides some good.
17. Fortune favours the bold. — Daring people draw luck their way.
18. Haste makes waste. — Rushing spoils the work.
19. Honesty is the best policy. — Truthfulness pays in the long run.
20. The grass is always greener on the other side. — Far fields always look richer.
21. Look before you leap. — Think before you act.
22. A leopard cannot change its spots. — Deep habits rarely change.
23. Let sleeping dogs lie. — Leave old quarrels undisturbed.
24. Practice makes perfect. — Rehearsal masters a skill.
25. Rome wasn't built in a day. — Great works take time.
26. Slow and steady wins the race. — Patient effort outlasts rushing.
27. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. — Follow the customs where you are.
28. Where there's smoke, there's fire. — Rumours usually have some cause.
29. You reap what you sow. — You gather what your deeds have planted.
30. Two heads are better than one. — Two minds solve more than one.
31. The pen is mightier than the sword. — Words can overcome force.
32. Silence is golden. — At times saying nothing is wisest.
33. No news is good news. — Silence from afar means all is well.
34. Out of sight, out of mind. — Absent things are soon forgotten.
35. Necessity is the mother of invention. — Need drives new ideas.
36. Many hands make light work. — Shared labour feels easy.
37. Laughter is the best medicine. — Good cheer restores strength.
38. Knowledge is power. — Learning gives command.
39. Easy come, easy go. — Quickly won is quickly lost.
40. A friend in need is a friend indeed. — Trouble proves true friends.
## Where the proverbs come from
The 40 proverbs are classic English proverbs from the shared stock of the language, each with a short meaning written for this edition. The Romanian edition keeps its own list of 40 Romanian proverbs, chosen from Iuliu Zanne's “Proverbele românilor” (1895–1903), now in the public domain.
Text: Marius Comper (). Romanian edition: .