1 In every house there are always cobwebs SERBIA

      2 A word flies away like a sparrow and returns to the house like a crow GERMANY

      3 The clock must be the master in the house SWEDEN

      4 When the house is built the carpenter is forgotten INDIA

      5 A quarrel in a neighbouring house is refreshing INDIA

      6 Little houses have fat mice TANZANIA

      7 A book holds a house of gold CHINA

      8 When the bee comes to your house, let her have beer; you may want to visit the bee’s house some day REPUBLIC OF CONGO

      9 Woe to the house where there is no chiding ENGLAND

      10 A house is not built on earth, but on a woman SERBIA

      11 Look the other way when the girl in the tea-house smiles JAPAN

      12 A little dog is really brave in front of his master’s house HAITI

      13 Those who haven’t seen a church bow before a fireplace POLAND

      14 It is in vain to look for yesterday’s fish in the house of the otter INDIA

      15 A long beard does not prevent a house going to bed hungry CAMEROON

      16 The only insurance against fire is to have two houses NIGERIA

      17 If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building or do you change the nail? RWANDA AND BURUNDI

      18 The house with an old grandparent harbours a jewel CHINA

      19 An old broom still sweeps the room ESTONIA

      20 People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones ENGLAND

      21 Those who live in the attic know where the roof leaks NIGERIA

      22 Do not jump high under a low ceiling CZECH REPUBLIC

      23 Rain does not fall only on one roof CAMEROON

      24 When it rains, the roof always drips the same way LIBERIA

      25 Small termites collapse the roof ETHIOPIA

      26 Communities begin by building their kitchen FRANCE

      27 It is no use standing with an open mouth in front of an oven DENMARK

      28 Insects do not nest in a busy door-hinge CHINA

      29 Sweep off your own back porch first USA

      30 Only the sweep knows what is up the chimney ITALY

      31 Every chimney makes its own smoke ITALY

      1 They must stoop who have a low door SCOTLAND

      2 A door must either be open or shut FRANCE

      3 Teachers open the door; you enter by yourself CHINA

      4 When one door shuts, another opens SCOTLAND

      5 Never bolt your door with a boiled carrot IRELAND

      6 Shut your door in such a way that you can open it again DENMARK

      7 Why seek the key of an open door? INDIA

      8 Let everyone sweep before their own door GERMANY

      9 You must go behind the door to mend old breeches ENGLAND

      10 There’s a puddle at every door, and before some doors there are two SCOTLAND

      11 On going into a church leave the world behind the door SPAIN

      12 A hole here and there is not the same as a window KENYA

      13 It is no use applying eye-medicine from a two-storey window JAPAN

      14 Don’t put all your goods in your shop window USA

      15 ‘If I rest, I rust’, says the key GERMANY

      16 The used key is always bright ENGLAND

      17 Those who would enter paradise must have a good key ENGLAND

      18 Beware of the door which has several keys INDIA

      19 All the keys in the land do not hang from one girdle SCOTLAND

      20 The key that opens is also the key that locks REPUBLIC OF CONGO

      1 Seven days is the length of a guest’s life MYANMAR

      2 A guest and a fish after three days are poison FRANCE

      3 Let the guests at table be three or four – at the most five GREECE

      4 Children regard their father’s guest as a slave REPUBLIC OF CONGO

      5 Aching teeth are ill tenants ENGLAND

      6 The later in the evening, the nicer the people NETHERLANDS

      1 Absence makes the heart grow fonder ENGLAND

      2 You cannot shave a man’s head in his absence NIGERIA

      3 The absent get farther off every day JAPAN

      4 The absent always bear the blame NETHERLANDS

      5 Whose presence does no good, their absence does no harm ENGLAND

      6 Easy come, easy go ENGLAND

      7 Away from the battle all are soldiers GERMANY

      8 An apple a day keeps the doctor away ENGLAND

      9 Take away the wife of a strong man only when he is out UGANDA

      10 Time to catch bears is when they’re out USA

      11 Here today and gone tomorrow ENGLAND

      12 Present to the eye, present to the mind CHINA

      13 While the cat’s away, the mice will play ENGLAND

      14 A proverb characterizes nations, but must first dwell among them SWITZERLAND

      1 Don’t rely on the label of the bag FRANCE

      2 An empty bag cannot stand upright ENGLAND

      3 At the bottom of the bag one finds the bill NETHERLANDS

      4 It is folly to put flour into a bag facing the wind GERMANY

      5 After the game the king goes into the sack like the pawn ITALY

      6 If you look in a chief’s bag you will always find something UGANDA

      7 That which goes last into the sack comes out first SWEDEN

      8 The string of our sack of patience is generally tied with a slip knot JAPAN

      9 An empty sack can’t stand, nor a dead cat walk IRELAND

      1 Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel CHINA

      2 One rotten apple spoils the whole barrel ENGLAND

      3 Two barrels of tears will not heal a bruise CHINA

      4 A sip at a time empties the cask NORWAY

      5 The fuller the cask, the duller its sound GERMANY

      6 A cask of wine works more miracles than a church full of saints ITALY

      1 A