Proverbs, Adages, Aphorisms, Saws, Wise Sayings & Clichés

[Firefoot]

I could have sworn I posted an answer to this ages ago... :rolleyes: Guess not."Few can forsee whither their road will lead them till they come to its end."

[Eonwe]

a stab in teh dark: galadriel to aragorn?

[Guinevere]

Nay, it is Legolas to Gimli and Aragorn when they arrive at the edge of Fangorn.

[Firefoot]

Guinevere has it!

[Guinevere]

Thanks, Firefoot!

Oft the unbidden guest proves the best company

[Dimturiel]

Eomer to Gimli at Helm's Deep?

[Guinevere]

Correct, Dimturiel! :)

[Dimturiel]

Thanks. :)
and the old linger, withering.

[Guinevere]

that's Théoden speaking to Gandalf:

"Alas for Boromir the brave! The young perish and the old linger, withering."

(Rather strange that he doesn't mention Theodred!)

[Dimturiel]

The thread is yours, Guinevere.

[Guinevere]

Thanks, Dimturiel! :)

One good turn deserves another

[Dimturiel]

Frodo to Gollum in the Emyn Muil.

[Guinevere]

right! :)

[Dimturiel]

Thanks! in dangerous days men hide their chief treasures.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Aragorn, in LR Appendix A I v.

[Dimturiel]

Correct!

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Talking won't mend nothing.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Anyone?

[Guinevere]

This is Sam, muttering to himself, right before he casts away his pans (and other stuff) in Mordor.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Your turn. :)

[Guinevere]

Thank you, Nilpaurion :)

False hopes are more dangerous than fears

(I hope I haven't used that one before)

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Sador, to Túrin, about the chair Sador made for Húrin.

[Guinevere]

Yep, that's one of Sador's wisdoms. :)

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Okay, part of a quote. Giving the whole thing would make it too easy.

'tis evil in the Wild to fare.

[Dimturiel]

when pools are black and trees are bare,/ 'tis evil in the wild to fare.
Bilbo to Frodo in Rivendell.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Your turn. :)

[Dimturiel]

counsels are best
There you go!

[Guinevere]

Hm, that's very short!
Is this perhaps part of this "proverb":

"In the morning counsels are best and night changes many thoughts." ?

If yes, it is said by Theoden to Hirgon, in "The Muster of Rohan".

[Dimturiel]

That's the one.

[Guinevere]

Thank you, Dimturiel!

More haste less speed

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Climbing down Emyn Muil after Frodo and Sam! :cool:

[Guinevere]

Yes, well done, Nilp.! :)

[Guinevere]

It would be a pity to let this thread die, so here is another cliché:

Dark for dark business!

[littlemanpoet]

Maybe you could clue me (and others?) into how this works?

[Guinevere]

If you browse through some previous posts you can easily see that it works like most of these "Quotable quotes" threads: you have to find out who said this to whom and when.
If your answer is correct, you write the next quote (in this thread it's all about "proverbs" or clichés, from any of Tolkien's works. Well, up to now, we've only used quotes from LotR, Hobbit, Silm, U.T.)
Good luck! :)

[littlemanpoet]

It would be a pity to let this thread die, so here is another cliché:
Bilbo walking down the tunnel to Smaug's lair? :confused:

[Guinevere]

wrong guess, sorry!
It's not Bilbo who says this, but the quote is indeed from "The Hobbit".

[Firefoot]

That would be the Dwarves to Bilbo, at the Unexpected Party.

[Guinevere]

when Bilbo wants to sneak away to get some light

[Firefoot]

:) Try this:"Cold hearts may not kindle others to give them warmth at their goings and comings."

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Aldarion, to Tar-Meneldur. :)

[Firefoot]

Correct you are, and sorry for the delay!

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Something simple then:

[ . . . ]take counsel with thyself, and remember who and what thou art.

[Nerwen]

Mandos to Fëanor, when banishing him from Tirion.

(But isn't that just an ordinary quote?)

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Well, it does sound 'wise' to me. Don't you agree. :p

Yours is the thread.

[Nerwen]

Well, fair enough, then. Don't mind me, I'm a chronic nitpicker.;)

Okay:

A treacherous weapon is ever a danger to the hand.

[Guinevere]

Gandalf about Saruman to Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn (in "The white Rider")

[Nerwen]

You have it, Guinevere.:)

[Guinevere]

Thanks! :)

"The praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards."

[Dimturiel]

Faramir to Sam in Henneth Annun.

[Guinevere]

Exactly!:)

[Dimturiel]

Thanks.Rede oft is found at the rising of the Sun

[Guinevere]

Legolas to Gimli and Aragorn in "The Riders of Rohan"

[Dimturiel]

Yup!:)

[Guinevere]

Thank you!

the dawn is brief and full often belies its promise

[Evisse the Blue]

Gimli to Legolas about the fickleness of Men.

[Guinevere]

Sorry, Evisse, that guess is wrong!
But I have to apologize, this quote isn't said by anyone, it's just in the narrative...
Shall I tell you where it is from, or would you like to take another guess?

[Evisse the Blue]

Yup, I'd like a hint!

Well, actually, by hint I don't rightly know what I mean since if you told me the circumstance or something like that, it would probably give it away....

Is it from Lotr?

[Guinevere]

No, it's from the Silmarillion.

[Evisse the Blue]

From the 'Of Men' chapter in the Silmarillion, I'm guessing.

Funny that Gimli does say something similar-ish when talking to Legolas in Minas Tirith about the 'deeds of men'.

[Guinevere]

You are right, it's from the chapter "Of Men"

"But the dawn is brief and the day full often belies its promise; and now the time drew on to the great wars of the powers of the North, when Noldor and Sindar and Men strove against the hosts of Morgoth Bauglir, and went down in ruin."

And yes, what Gimli tells Legolas really is similar:
"It is ever so with the things that Men begin: there is a frost in Spring, or a blight in Summer, and they fail of their promise."

[Evisse the Blue]

How about:

Some things are ill to hear when the world is in shadow

[Guinevere]

No other takers?

That's Tom Bombadil to the Hobbits, if I remember rightly

[Evisse the Blue]

Sure is! :)

[Guinevere]

Thank you Evisse! I hope that one hasn't been used before:

Fair speech may hide a foul heart

[Galadriel55]

I think Gandalf wrote that in his letter to Frodo...

[Guinevere]

sorry, wrong guess! It is from the LotR, though.

[Galadriel55]

Faramir to Frodo?

[Guinevere]

Sorry to disappoint you again, but it is not Faramir to Frodo. But you are searching in the right spot!! ;)

[Galadriel55]

You made me reread the Faramir chapters. ;)


It's Sam, thinking to himself about Faramir, telling himself not to fall asleep.

[Guinevere]

The Faramir chapters are always worth a rereading! :)

[Galadriel55]

The Faramir chapters are always worth a rereading!

I love them! :)

I should have thought before answering - I don't have a good quote handy. You got me intrigued. :p This is the only one I could think of:

It is useless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing.

[Guinevere]

Isn't that Frodo to the other hobbits in the Scouring of the Shire?

[Galadriel55]

Yup, that's it!

[Guinevere]

It's becoming increasingly difficult to find something that hasn't been used yet..
I hope this one counts:

"... a traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not intend."

[Galadriel55]

Methinks it's Gandalf talking about about Gollum to Pippin, but I don't have ROTK right now to check...

[Guinevere]

You sure wasted no time finding that one, Galadriel55. :)
And even without the book to check it!

[Galadriel55]

For a lack of a less obvious quote...

The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.

I don't think it was used before, but I didn't read through the whole thread... and I forgot most of what I read: it's been a while since then... :p

[Guinevere]

No other takers? Then I can't resist any longer, because this is one of my very favourite quotes!!:)

Haldir to the Fellowship in Lorien.

[Galadriel55]

that's it! :)

[Guinevere]

I finally found one more "Wise saying":

"Do not despise the lore that has come down from distant years; for oft it may chance that old wives keep in memory word of things that once were needful for the wise to know."

[Galadriel55]

I think it's Aragorn talking about Fangorn Forest, probably to Gimli and Legolas. I'm not that sure, though... I have some feeling that Boromir is involved somehow...

[Guinevere]

Sorry, but your first guess is wrong. But you are right in thinking that Boromir is involved.

[Galadriel55]

Celeborn, talking to Boromir & Fellowship about Fangorn!

[Guinevere]

Yep, exactly!

[Galadriel55]

Thanks! :D For a lack of a better quote:

"For you remain my king, and theirs, whatever betide."

[Evisse the Blue]

I don't remember who said it, but I think it was to Finrod

[Galadriel55]

I don't remember who said it, but I think it was to Finrod

Yes, it was to Finrod.

Since it's been so long I'll give it to you anyways. It was said by Edrahil when Finrod was departing with Beren.

[Evisse the Blue]

"if they mean well, then I'm a hobbit"

[Galadriel55]

Gimli said it. My memmory is failing me, because I don't remember for the life of me when he said it. My guess would be near Caradhrass, when they were talking about the crows...

[Guinevere]

I found that Barliman Butterbur tells this to Frodo:

" These black men" "they're looking for Baggins, and if they mean well, I'm a hobbit.

[icning]

I really like "Live and learn." It is very simple yet very empowering if you really try to make with it in life. As for me, this is what my mantra is for everyday. I like living life to the fullest even if there are some hazards to that sort of thing. You have only one chance anyway, and you could just always learn from it. But with this, it is very important to work well within your bounds only.

[Guinevere]

Well, Evisse doesn't seem to be around to confirm my answer, but since I know it is correct, and I have just spotted a "proverb" that has hitherto escaped my attention, here goes:
Ill is it to be trapped between the Doom of the Valar and the Malice of the Enemy

[Galadriel55]

Just found that in UT: Voronwe to Tuor.

[Guinevere]

When I saw your post in the chapter-by-chapter thread of U.T., I knew it wouldn't be long before you spotted this one!:D

[Galadriel55]

When I saw your post in the chapter-by-chapter thread of U.T., I knew it wouldn't be long before you spotted this one!:D

Yeah, that was the case...

And now I have to find a saying....

Let your legs take their share

[Guinevere]

That could be the dwarves in Mirkwood, to Bombur when he at last woke up, but wanted to lie down again to resume his dream...

[Galadriel55]

Please take the board!

[Guinevere]

Alas, it may take a long time before I find anything suitable that hasn't been used before! So if anyone has a "proverb" ready, please go ahead!

[Guinevere]

OK, I found another one, but it is not said by anyone, it is just in the narrative:
night is a cold counsellor

[Guinevere]

Do you need a hint? it is from U.T.

[Galadriel55]

I'm sorry, I forgot this thread was going again. :o And I don't have UT anymore to check. My guess would be somewhere in Tuor's wanderings just before the storm during which Ulmo spoke with him.

[Guinevere]

You don't need U.T. for this one, it is in "The Children of Húrin" as well! ;)

[Galadriel55]

When I didn't find it in the likely places, I reread COH... :o It's not a bad thing by itself, but for a quote...:rolleyes:

But night is a cold counsellor, and many were now amazed at their own rashness;...

When the Haladhrim went with Niniel to Nen Girith while Turin, Dorlas, and Hunthor went forth to fight Glaurung.

[Guinevere]

Well done, Galadriel55!
I now have rather a bad conscience, wasting so much of your time...:(
But many is the time I was browsing in one of the books in search of a quote and found myself rereading whole chapters and more, getting caught up in the tale again.

[Galadriel55]

I now have rather a bad conscience, wasting so much of your time...:(

Nonesense! Reading Tolkien is never a waste of time! :)

I read through quite a bit of material to find another one, and I hope it wasn't used before. If it was I'll be very cross with myself.

Yet there may be a light beyond the darkness

[Guinevere]

Aragorn to his mother at their last meeting, trying to comfort her:
"Yet there may be a light beyond the darkness; and if so, I would have you see it and be glad."

[Galadriel55]

Yup! :)

[Guinevere]

for it is easier to shout stop! than to do it.

I hope this isn't too obscure...