1709. Wager. A wager is a fool's argument.
1710. Wages. He who serves well need not be afraid to ask his wages.
1711. Waits. He that waits on another man's trencher, makes many a late dinner.
1712. Want. The worth of a thing is best known by the want of it.
1713. Want of. For want of a nail the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe the horse is lost; for want of a horse the rider is lost.
1714. War. War, hunting, and law, are as full of trouble as pleasure.
1715. War. War is death's feast.
1716. War. Who preacheth war is the devil's chaplain.
1717. War (good). He that makes a good war makes a good peace.
1718. Wares (good). Good wares make quick markets.
1719. Warm. He that is warm thinks all are so.
1720. Warm. He is wise enough that can keep himself warm in winter.
1721. Warm.
The head and feet kept warm,
The rest will take no harm.
1722. Washing. There's no washing the blackamore white.
1723. Waste. Waste not, want not.
1724. Waste. Wilful waste makes woeful want.
1725. Watch. Good watch prevents misfortune.
1726. Watch. You may be a wise man though you cannot make a watch.
1727. Watched pot. A watched pot never boils.
1728. Water. Water bewitched.
1729. Water. We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.
1730. Wax. He that hath a head of wax must not walk in the sun.
1731. Way. Where there's a will there's a way.
1732. Ways (more). There are more ways to kill a dog than hanging.
1733. Ways. To him that wills ways are not wanting.
1734. Weakest. Let the weakest go to the wall.
1735. Weakest. Where it is weakest there the thread breaketh.
1736. Wealth. Their folly pleads the privilege of wealth.
1737. Wearer. The wearer best knows where the shoe pinches.
1738. Wearing. Everything is the worse for wearing.
1739. Wears. Constant dropping wears the stone.
1740. Weather. 'Tis pity fair weather should do any harm.
1741. Weather (change). Any flat can talk of change of weather.
1742. Wedding. Wedding and ill-wintering tame both man and beast.
1743. Wedlock. Wedlock is a padlock.
1744. Weds. Who weds ere he be wise shall die ere he thrive.
1745. Weep. As great a pity to see a woman weep, as to see a goose go barefoot.
1746. Welcome. As welcome as the flowers in May.
1747. Welcome. "Welcome death," quoth the rat, when the trap fell down.
1748. Welcome. Welcome is the best dish on the table.
1749. Well. Let well alone.
1750. Well. When the well is dug it is easy enough to pump.
1751. Well-doing. Be not weary of well-doing.
1752. Well-ordered. All things are soon prepared in a well-ordered house.
1753. Wells. Well-drawn wells give the sweetest water.
1754. Wept. I wept when I was born, and every day shows why.
1755. Whet. A whet is no let [hindrance].
1756. Whistle. You may pay too dear for your whistle.
1757. Why. There's ne'er a why, but there's a wherefore.
1758. Wide. Wide will wear but narrow will tear.
1759. Wife. Choose your wife on Saturday, and not on a Sunday.
1760. Wife. He that goes far from home for a wife, either intends to cheat or will be cheated.
1761. Wife. A man's best fortune or his worst is his wife.
1762. Wife. There is one good wife in the country, and every man thinks he hath her.
1763. Wife (good). A good wife makes a good husband.
1764. Wife (good).
A good wife and health
Are a man's best wealth.
1765. Wife (good).
Saith Solomon the wise
A good wife's a prize.
1766. Wife (news). He that tells his wife news is but newly married.
1767. Wild oats. Happy is he who hath sown his wild oats betimes.
1768. Wiles. Wise men are not caught by wiles.
1769. Wilful. If wilful will to water, wilful must be drowned.
1770. Wilful man. A wilful man never wants woe.
1771. Will. Take the will for the deed.
1772. Will. They that cannot do as they will, must do as they can.
1773. Will. Will without reason is blind.
1774. Will not. If one will not, another will.
1775. Will (ready). Where the will is ready, the feet are light.
1776. Will (way). Where there's a will there's a way.
1777. Willing horse. All lay load on the willing horse.
1778. Willing mind. Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.
1779. Willows. Willows are weak, yet they bend other wood.
1780. Win. Win first, lose last.
1781. Wind (north).
When the wind's in the north
You need not go forth [to fish].
1782. Wind (east).
When the wind's in the east
The fish will bite least.
1783. Wind (south).
When the wind's in the south
The bait goes in their mouth.
1784. Wind (west).
When the wind's in the west
The fish will bite best.
1785. Wind.
Where the wind is on Candlemas Day
There it will stick to the end of May.
1786. Wind (east).
When the wind is in the east,
'Tis neither good for man nor beast.
1787. Wind (ill). It's an ill wind that blows nobody good.
1788. Wind (south).
When the wind's in the south
It's in the rain's mouth.
1789. Wind (still).
No weather is ill
If the wind be still.
1790. Windfalls. None ever yet got fat on windfalls.
1791. Windmill. You cannot drive a windmill with a pair of bellows.
1792. Wine. More have been drowned in wine than water.
1793. Wine. When wine sinks, words swim.
1794. Wine. Wine is the master's, but the goodness is the drawer's.
1795. Wine (good). Good wine needs no bush.
1796. Wine (in). When wine is in, wit is out.
1797. Wine (turncoat). Wine is a turncoat, first a friend, then an enemy.
1798. Wink. Wink at small faults.
1799. Wink. A wink's as good as a nod to a blind horse.
1800. Winter (good). A good winter brings a good summer.
1801. Winter. Winter finds out what summer lays up.
1802. Wisdom. By wisdom peace, by peace plenty.
1803. Wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
1804. Wisdom. Wisdom rides upon the ruins of folly.
1805. Wise. Better wise than wealthy.
1806. Wise men. Wise men care not for what they cannot have.
1807. Wishes. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
1808. Wishes. If wishes were thrushes, beggars would eat birds.
1809. Wishes. If wishes would bide, beggars would ride.
1810. Wishes. If wishes were butter-cakes, beggars would bite.
1811. Wit. Wit is the lightning of the mind.
1812. Wit. Wit bought is twice taught.
1813. Wit. You may truss up all his wit in an egg-shell.
1814. Wit. Wit ill applied is a dangerous weapon.
1815. Wit. Wit is folly, unless a wise man hath the keeping of it.
1816. Wit. Wit may be bought too dear.
1817. Wits. He that lives upon his wits, breaks for want of stock.
1818. Wive. A man cannot both wive and thrive in a year.
1819. Woe. Woe follows wickedness.
1820. Wolf. He had enough to keep the wolf from the door.
1821. Wolves. Wolves lose their teeth, but not their memory.
1822. Woman's strength. A woman's strength is in her tongue.
1823. Woman's work. A woman's work is never at an end.
1824. Women. Discreet women have neither eyes nor ears.
1825. Women (wills). Women must have their wills while they live, because they make none when they die.
1826. Wonder. A wonder lasts but nine days.
1827. Woo. To woo is a pleasure in young men, a fault in old.
1828. Woodcock. One woodcock does not make a winter.
1829. Wooing.
Happy is the wooing,
That is not long a-doing.
1830. Wool. Many go for wool and come back shorn.
1831. Wool sellers. Wool sellers know wool buyers.
1832. Word. An honest man's word is as good as his bond.
1833. Words.
A man of words and not of deeds,
Is like a garden full of weeds.
1834. Words.
Words are but sands,
'Tis money buys lands.
1835. Words.
Sometimes words
Wound more than swords.
1836. Words. Words are like weights, gravity gives them effect.
1837. Words. Words are for women, actions for men.
1838. Words and blows.
Words are but wind,
But blows unkind.
1839. Word (enough). A word is enough to the wise.
1840. Words (evening). Words spoken in an evening the wind carrieth away.
1841. Words (fair). Fair words butter no parsnips.
1842. Words (fair). Fair words will not keep a cat from starving.
1843. Words (few). Few words are best.
1844. Words (good). Good words cool more than cold water.
1845. Words (good). Good words fill not a sack.
1846. Words (many). Many words will not fill a bushel.
1847. Words (soft). Soft words hurt not the mouth.
1848. Work. They that will not work in heat, must hunger in frost.
1849. Workmen (bad). Bad workmen always complain of their tools.
1850. World. One half of the world knows not how the other half lives.
1851. World. The world is his who knows how to wait for it.
1852. World. The world was never so dull but if one won't another will.
1853. World. This world is nothing except it tend to the next.
1854. World's pulse. There needs a long time to know the world's pulse.
1855. Worm. Tread on a worm and it will turn.
1856. Worst. When things get to the worst, they'll mend.
1857. Worst spoke. The worst spoke in the cart-wheel breaks first.
1858. Would.
"He that wolde not when he might,
He shall not when he wold-a."
1859. Wounds. Wounds may heal, but not those made by ill words.
1860. Wranglers. Wranglers never want words.
1861. Wrath. A soft answer turneth away wrath.
1862. Wrestle. He that is thrown would ever wrestle.
1863. Wretch. He who maketh others wretched is himself a wretch, whether prince or peasant.
1864. Wrongs. Two wrongs will not make a right.
1865. Wrong sow. To take the wrong sow by the ear.
