| English | Russian |
| a good tale is none the worse for being told twice | хорошую историю и повторить не грех |
| A tale never loses in the telling | история обрастает домыслами (Leonid Dzhepko) |
| an honest tale goes faster plainly told | прямая улица короче кривой |
| an honest tale goes faster plainly told | прямая улица лучше кривой |
| an honest tale goes faster plainly told | самое лучшее – прямо и просто сказанное слово |
| an honest tale goes faster plainly told | недолго думано, да хорошо сказано |
| an honest tale goes faster plainly told | прямая улица быстрее к цели приведёт |
| an honest tale speeds best, being plainly told | не долго думано, да хорошо сказано (дословно: Самое лучшее-прямо и просто сказанное слово) |
| forty years old her tale is told | сорок лет – бабий век, в сорок пять – баба ягодка опять |
| forty years old her tale is told | сорок лет – бабий век |
| honest tale speeds best, being plainly told | самое лучшее – прямо и просто сказанное слово |
| honest tale speeds best, being plainly told | не долго думано, да хорошо сказано |
| it is not a tale yet – the major story lies ahead | это ещё присказка, а сказка будет впереди (it is only the beginning of the tale, the rest is still to come – the saying is originally used at the beginning of Russian fairytales to arouse listeners' interest, curiosity as well as to emphasize the significance of the coming story) |
| it is not a tale yet – the major story lies ahead | это всё присказка, а сказка будет впереди (it is only the beginning of the tale, the rest is still to come – the saying is originally used at the beginning of Russian fairytales to arouse listeners' interest, curiosity as well as to emphasize the significance of the coming story) |
| it is not a tale yet – the major story lies ahead | это присказка, сказка впереди (it is only the beginning of the tale, the rest is still to come – the saying is originally used at the beginning of Russian fairytales to arouse listeners' interest, curiosity as well as to emphasize the significance of the coming story) |
| it's a cock and bull tale | в огороде бузина, а в Киеве дядька (said to ridicule a person's statement as making no sense, being illogical or even a lie) |
| must I tell you a tale and find you ears too? | глухому поп двух обеден не служит (contrast: a good tale is none the worse for being twice told. Used as a reply to someone's request to say it again, to repeat it, and means: I do not want to say it twice) |
| must I tell you a tale and find you ears too? | глухому попы двух обеден не служат (contrast: a good tale is none the worse for being twice told. Used as a reply to someone's request to say it again, to repeat it, and means: I do not want to say it twice) |
| must I tell you a tale and find you ears too? | глухому попы две обедни не служат (contrast: a good tale is none the worse for being twice told. Used as a reply to someone's request to say it again, to repeat it, and means: I do not want to say it twice) |
| must I tell you a tale and find you ears too? | глухому поп две обедни не служит (contrast: a good tale is none the worse for being twice told. Used as a reply to someone's request to say it again, to repeat it, and means: I do not want to say it twice) |
| must I tell you a tale and find you ears too? | слушай ухом, а не брюхом (used as a vulgar and rude piece of advice that someone should listen better) |
| spin a tale | плести небылицы (SergeiAstrashevsky) |
| varnished tale can't be round | из песни слова не выкинешь (one has to tell the whole story without omitting any unpleasant part of it) |
