“Jack of all trades, master of none” … “but ofttimes better than a master of one.”
“Blood is thicker than water.” “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the waters of the womb.”
“Money is the root of all evil.” “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
there’s also “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” which conservatives are oh so fond of saying
bootstraps are, well, straps on your boots. you cannot physically pull yourself up by them, and that’s what the original phrase meant. “pulling oneself up by the bootstraps” is meant to be an impossible task
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”
The second part really matters.
Some more:
“Birds of a feather flock together- until the cat comes.” - The first part gets quoted a lot in a “find your people” kind of way, but the full quote was meant to be a warning about basing relationships on “feathers” (looks, surface details, etc) only.
“Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.” - The first part is often used like a warning against curiosity, but the full quote is meant to encourage it.
“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” - The first part is often used to get people to do stuff first/fast/early, but the full saying is meant to impart that sometimes, not being the first can work out better.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.” - The first part is often quoted in a “cool it/relax/stop” type way, but the full quote is meant to encourage slow and steady progress.
“Great minds think alike, though fools seldom differ.” - Just because it’s an idea y'both had, doesn’t make it a good one.
