oak (redirected from Oaky)

all oak and iron bound and *sound as a barrel

Rur. in good health; feeling good. (*Also: as ~.) Tom: How are you today? Bill: All oak and iron bound, thank you. Jane made a wonderful recovery from her surgery, and now she's as sound as a barrel.

See also: and, barrel, bound, iron

Great oaks from little acorns grow, and Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

Prov. Immense things can come from small sources. Don't tell lies, not even small ones. Great oaks from little acorns grow.

See also: acorn, and, great, little, mighty

Little strokes fell great oaks.

Prov. You can complete a large, intimidating task by steadily doing small parts of it. Jill: How can I possibly write a fifty-page report in two months? Jane: Just write a little bit every day. Little strokes fell great oaks.

See also: fell, great, little, stroke

reed before the wind lives on, while mighty oaks do fall

Prov. An insignificant, flexible person is more likely not to get hurt in a crisis than a prominent or rigid person. Our office has new managers now; I plan to be as inconspicuous as possible while they reorganize everyone. A reed before the wind lives on, while mighty oaks do fall.

See also: before, fall, lives, mighty, reed, wind

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Great/Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

something that you say in order to emphasize that a large, successful organization or plan was very small or simple when it began Microsoft, which is now the biggest independent software company in the world, was founded in 1975 by just two men. It goes to show that great oaks from little acorns grow.

See also: acorn, great, grow, little