5 Sayings beginning with Y


You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink

Possible interpretation: You can show people the way to find something or to do something, but you cannot force them to act after that.

Note: lead (verb): cause a person or animal to go with one by holding them by the hand or by a rope etc; go in front of someone to show them the way

Quick Quiz:

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink" suggests that
  1. horses don't like water
  2. people have free will
  3. people prefer authority

Answer:  b


You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs

Possible interpretation: Sometimes, when we want to create or achieve something, we must sacrifice or destroy another thing to do it.

Note: omelette (noun) = a dish (food) made from eggs [AmE omelet]

Quick Quiz:

"You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs" could suggest that to gain one thing you may have to
  1. give up another
  2. buy it
  3. heat it gently

Answer:  a


You can't take it with you when you die

Possible interpretation: When we die we leave everything on earth. We don't take anything with us. Even the richest people cannot take their money with them after death. This proverb reminds us that some material or worldly things are not really so valuable as we may think.

Note: A variation of this proverb is: "You can't take it with you when you go."

Quick Quiz:

"You can't take it with you when you die" is a philosophy of
  1. morbidity
  2. worldliness
  3. unworldliness

Answer:  c


You can't judge a book by its cover

Possible interpretation: You cannot judge what something or someone is like by looking at the exterior.

Note: tell (verb) = judge | cover (noun) = thick, protective outer part of a book | Also found in other forms, such as: "Don't judge a book by its cover."

Quick Quiz:

If "you can't tell a book by its cover", you can't judge a person by
  1. marrying them
  2. looking at their clothes
  3. getting to know them

Answer:  b


You don't keep a dog and bark yourself

Possible interpretation: If you pay someone to do a job, or you have servants to do it, it makes no sense to do the job yourself.

Note: bark (verb) = (of a dog) emit a bark | bark (noun) = the loud sound that a dog makes

Quick Quiz:

If you believe that "you don't keep a dog and bark yourself", then you would expect to
  1. help your gardener take care of your garden
  2. let your gardener take care of your garden alone
  3. let your dog guard your gardener

Answer:  b