Terms for subject Proverb containing be a

English	Russian
a soldier who doesn't want to be a general is a bad soldier	плох тот солдат, кто не мечтает стать генералом (Olga Okuneva)
be a big fish in a little pond	Первый парень на деревне (Кобзев)
be a dab hand at something	зубы съесть на (чём-либо)
be a dab hand at something	зубы проесть на (чём-либо)
be a dab hand at something	собаку съесть на (чём-либо)
be a demon for work	работать с огоньком
be a demon for work	работать с азартом
be a greater Catholic that the Pope	быть большим католиком, чем папа римский (Olga Okuneva)
be a greedy bastard	снимать с дерьма пенки
be a load off somebody's mind	от сердца отлегло
be a load off somebody's mind	словно камень с души свалился
be a load off somebody's mind	гора с плеч
be a shadow of one's former self	одна тень осталась
be a shadow of one's former self	настоящий скелет
better be a fool than a knave	лучше хромать, чем воровать
better be a fool than a knave	лучше дурак с кротостью, чем умный с хитростью
dress up a stick and it doesn't appear to be a stick	в наряде пригож, а без него на пень похож
dress up a stick and it doesn't appear to be a stick	одежда красит человека
(every family house, community has its own private/ problems and troubles every heart knows its own bitterness. it is a poor kin that has neither whore nor thief in it a skeletons in every cupboard or closet.every house, ugly or nice, has its own problems and mice	под каждой крышей свой мыши ( NU[YK )
god is god but don't be a clod	на Бога надейся, а сам не плошай
God is God, but don't be a clod	Бог-то Бог, да и сам не будь плох
he is a fool that forgets himself	чужая печаль с ума свела, а по своей тужить некому
he is a fool that forgets himself	тот дурак, кто о себе не помнит (ср.: чужая печаль с ума свела, а по своей потужить некому)
he is a fool that forgets himself	чужая печаль с ума свела, а по своей потужить некому (дословно: Тот дурак, кто о себе не помнит)
he is a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs	хороший тот друг, кто в глаза ругает, а за глаза хвалит
he is a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs	тот хороший друг, который о нас за глаза хорошее говорит
he is a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs	настоящий тот друг, кто в глаза ругает, а за глаза хвалит
he is a good friend that speaks well of us behind our backs	хороший друг в лицо ругает, а за глаза хвалит (дословно: Тот хороший друг, который о нас за глаза хорошее говорит)
he is a poor cook that cannot lick his own fingers	сапожник босиком не ходит
hypocrisy is a homage that vice pays to virtue	притворство – это дань, которую порок платит добродетели
I'd like to serve, but not to be a servant	служить бы рад, прислуживаться тошно (Грибоедов. Горе от ума Olga Okuneva)
if it is a no, let it be so	на нет и суда нет (VLZ_58)
it is better to be a has-been than a never-was	из двух зол выбирают меньшее
it is better to be a has-been than a never-was	лучше хлеб с водой, чем пирог с бедой
it is better to be a has-been than a never-was	лучше хоть день быть кем-то, чем всю жизнь никем (В.И.Макаров)
Life is short, but there's a lot to be done or life is short, but there's much to do	Жизнь коротка, а дел много
rumour is a bubble that soon bursts	мирская молва, что морская волна (Anglophile)
that is a horse of another colour	это совсем другое дело
that is a horse of another colour	это лошадь другой масти ср.: это совсем другое дело
that is a horse of another colour	иной коленкор
that is a horse of another colour	не тот коленкор
that is a horse of another colour	другой коленкор
that is a horse of the same colour	они одной крови
that is a horse of the same colour	одно и то же
that's a fine how-d'ye-do or how-de-do!	вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment)
that's a horse of another color	это лошадь другой масти
that's a horse of another color	это совсем другое дело
that's a horse of another color	вот это уже из другой оперы
that's a horse of another colour	вот это уже из другой оперы (дословно: Это лошадь другой масти)
that's a horse of another colour	это совсем другое дело (дословно: Это лошадь другой масти)
that's a nice how-d'ye-do or how-de-do!	вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment)
that's a pretty how-d'ye-do or how-de-do!	вот тебе, бабушка, и Юрьев день (said to show one's surprise, pain, disappointment when one's hopes, expectations have not come true. the code of laws of 1497 allowed Russian peasants to move from one landlord to another once a year during a week before and a week after st. yuri's day, i. e., the 26th of november, old style. the limited freedom was banned in 1580 -1590, and st. yuri's day entered the folklore as a symbol of disappointment)
that's a rich idea	курам на смех
the fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool	дурак строит из себя умника, а умник ломает дурака
the thief is sorry he is to be hanged, but not that he is a thief	горбатого одна могила исправит
the thief is sorry he is to be hanged, but not that he is a thief	горбатого могила исправит
there is a time to speak and a time to be silent	сказанное слово серебряное, а не сказанное – золотое
there is a time to speak and a time to be silent	ешь пирог с грибами, а язык держи за зубами
there is a time to speak and a time to be silent	ешь пирог с грибами, да язык держи за зубами
there is a time to speak and a time to be silent	молчание – золото
there is a time to speak and a time to be silent	сказанное слово серебряное, а несказанное – золотое
there is no good accord where every man would be a lord	у семи нянек дитя без глаза
there is no good accord where every man would be a lord	у семи нянек дитя без глазу
though modesty be a virtue, yet bashfulness is a vice	простота хуже воровства (simplicity is worse than robbery. used disapprovingly about a person whose naivety and blind trustfulness cause trouble, may do harm)
where there is a sound body there must be a sound mind	в здоровом теле здоровый дух
where there's a trough, there'll be swine	было бы корыто, а свиньи будут (used ironically to mean: where there is something to offer, there will be those who would want to have it)
where there's a trough, there'll be swine	было бы корыто, а свиньи найдутся (used ironically to mean: where there is something to offer, there will be those who would want to have it)