proverbs come in pairs

A form of proverbs run in pairs — Every proverb seems to be contradicted by another proverb with an opposing or contradictory message, such as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "many hands make light work."

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativeAlternative form of proverbs run in pairs.

    Sometimes proverbs come in pairs, the first one providing the context, the second, the revision.

    1979, Irving Howe, John Hollander, David Bromwich, Literature as Experience: An Anthology, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, →ISBN, page 325
Cite this entry
APA

proverbs come in pairs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proverbs%20come%20in%20pairs

MLA

“proverbs come in pairs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proverbs%20come%20in%20pairs. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “proverbs come in pairs,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/proverbs%20come%20in%20pairs.

Source: proverbs come in pairs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.