PERVERBS

In his book, Selected Declarations  of Dependence, author Harry Mathews explores hundreds of what he calls perverbs - sentences formed by joining the first  half of one proverb to the last half of another. For example, "People who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones," is a standard proverb. People who live in glass houses are soon parted is a perverb of this proverb. The opposite perverb would be A fool and his money shouldn't throw stones. Can you find the opposite perverb to the perverbs below?

1. A stitch in time gets the worm.

2. The road to hell has a silver lining. 

3. In one ear and gone tomorrow

4. A bird in the hand waits for no man.

5. The grass is always greener before they hatch.

Answers:

 

1. The early bird saves nine.

2.  Every cloud is paved with good intentions. 

3. Here today, out the other.

4. Time and tide is worth two in the bush.

5. Don't count you chickens on the other side of the fence. 

 

Credit:

Colossal Book of Wordplay

Martin Gardner