Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Many glossaries of literary terms do not distinguish between tone and mood, attributing to them the same definition.

The feeling that the story induces in the reader.

Some glossaries how do have separate connotations for the two terms.

• Tone: the attitude portrayed by the narrator of the story. As in 'tone of voice'.
• Mood: the feeling, tension or emotions conveyed by the characters in the story.

Adages are quotes, sayings, phrases and advice that are meant to be wise or true.

1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
2. A bird in the hand is worth two in a bush.
3. Actions speak louder than words.
4. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
5. Age is a state of mind, not a measure of time.
6. A hungry man is an angry man.
7. A penny saved is a penny earned.
8. A picture is worth a thousand words.
9. A positive life pivots on modesty; the bigger the ego, the greater the insecurity.
10. A rising tide lifts all boats.
11. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
12. A soft tongue can break hard bones.
13. A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.
14. A stitch in time saves nine.
15. A verbal agreement is only as good as the paper it is written on.
16. A watched pot never boils.
17. A woman' work is never done.
18. All good things must come to an end.
19. All is fair in love and war.
20. All that glitters is not gold.
21. All's well that ends well.
22. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
23. A man who never made a mistake, never made anything.
24. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
25. An eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.
26. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
27. An idle mind is the devil's workshop.
28. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
29. Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies.
30. As you shall sow, so shall you reap.
31. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
32. Be careful what you wish for, it may come true!
33. Be grateful and repay kindness-this is first; to benefit others is to benefit ourselves.
34. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
35. Beauty is only skin deep.
36. Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone.
37. Beggars shouldn't be choosers.
38. Believe in yourself.
39. Better late than never.
40. Better safe than sorry.
41. Better slip with foot than tongue.
42. Beware of the law of unintended consequences.
43. Birds of a feather flock together.
44. Blood is thicker than water.
45. Brains are better than brawn.
46. Build a man a fire and he'll be warm for a day; Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
47. Can't is quitter too lazy to try.
48. Can't never could.
49. Children learn what they live.
50. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, but around here, it's next to impossible!
51. Clothes maketh the man.
52. Clothes don't make the man. It's the man that makes the clothes.
53. Clothes may disguise a fool, but his voice will give him away.
54. Cultivate a big heart, but a small ego.
55. Curiosity killed the cat.
56. Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back.
57. Dead men tell no tales.
58. Do as I say, not as I do.
59. Do not bring a knife to a gun fight.
60. Do not judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.
61. Don't be afraid to stand up for what is right, even if you're standing alone.
62. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
63. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
64. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
65. Don't cry over spilt milk.
66. Don't judge a book by it's cover.
67. Don't pretend to be something you aren't.
68. Don't take no for an answer.
69. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
70. Do your best and God will do the rest.
71. Every cloud has a silver lining.
72. Every dog has its day.
73. Every man is the architect of his own fortune.
74. Everyone is the age of their heart.
75. Failure is the path of least persistence.
76. Fool me once, shame on you; Fool me twice, shame on me.
77. From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.
78. Get out while the getting is good.
79. Half the truth is often a whole lie.
80. Haste makes waste.
81. Hay is for horses.
82. Heaven lent you a soul, Earth will lend a grave.
83. He who laughs first, laughs last.
84. He who laughs last, laughs best.
85. His bark is worse than his bite.
86. History repeats itself.
87. Honesty is the best policy.
88. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
89. If the shoe fits, wear it.
90. If you break it, you buy it.
91. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!
92. In for a penny, in for a pound.
93. In peace and harmony, seize the promise of today, and live out a fresh tomorrow.
94. It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.
95. It is better to suffer for truth than to prosper by falsehood.
96. It is far easier to start something than to finish it.
97. It's never too late.
98. It isn't whether you win or lose that counts, it's how you play the game.
99. Keep your ears and eyes wide open, but mouth tight shut; be quick with your hands and legs, but slow to spend.
100. Knowledge is power.
101. Labels are for cans, not people.
102. Let sleeping dogs lie.
103. Liars need good memories.
104. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
105. Look before you leap.
106. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
107. Mistakes are doorways to discovery.
108. Money is the root of all evil.
109. Nobody is perfect.
110. No legacy is as rich as honesty.
111. No sin is hidden to the soul.
112. Nothing in life is free.
113. No time like the present.
114. Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
115. One flower makes no garland.
116. One good turn deserves another.
117. Our needs are few; our wants are many.
118. Our value depends not on how long we live, but on how much we contribute.
119. Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.
120. Patience is a virtue.
121. Persistence is the key.
122. Play the part and you shall become.
123. Possession is nine tenths of the law.
124. Practice makes perfect.
125. Practice what you preach.
126. Procrastination is the thief of time.
127. Put off for one day and ten days will pass by.
128. Smiles open many doors.
129. Stop and smell the roses.
130. Straight from the horse's mouth.
131. Strike while the iron is hot.
132. Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan.
133. The best things in life are free.
134. The clothes make the man.
135. The devil looks after his own.
136. The early bird gets the worm.
137. The grass is always greener on the other side.
138. The more the merrier.
139. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
140. The truth shall set you free.
141. It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.
142. The best thing about telling the truth is...you don't have to remember what you said!
143. Two heads are better than one.
144. The meaning of life lies in serving; the value of life in giving.
145. The more the merrier.
146. The noble pursue the path, the average pursue their duties, and the misguided pursue fame and fortune.
147. The person who gets stuck on petty happiness, will not attain great happiness.
148. There are no small parts, only small actors.
149. Those content with few desires will never want.
150. Those who give selflessly are blessed; those who do good deeds are happy.
151. Those who sleep with dogs will rise with fleas.
152. To seek inner peace is to enjoy peace in life; to care for others is to attain happiness.
153. To take on anything, one must first be able to let go.
154. Two wrongs don't make a right.
155. Vanity blossoms but bares no fruit.
156. Wake up and smell the coffee.
157. We boil at different degrees.
158. We'll cross that bridge when you come to it.
159. We learn little from victory, much from defeat.
160. What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.
161. What you don't know can't hurt you.
162. Where there's a will, there's a way.
163. Who has deceived thee as oft as thyself.
164. Wise men learn by others' harms; fools by their own.
165. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
166. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
167. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
168. You reap what you sow.
169. You win some, you lose some.