Question

Choose the best proverb that corresponds to the given context.
Your friend has been suffering from a bad toothache for a long time as he is afraid to go to the dentist. How would you urge him to overcome his fear?
a- He laughs best who laughs last.
b- The devil is not so black as is painted.
c- A burnt child dreads the fire.
d- One swallow doesn’t make a summer.
e- If you want a thing well done, do it yourself.

Answer 1

Hint: A proverb is a simple saying or aphorism that is based on experience or judgment. Proverbs are usually traditional sayings that imply the use of figurative and rhetorical language.

Complete answer:
In the given question- We know that X’s friend has been suffering from a bad toothache for a long time as he is afraid to go to the dentist.
Hence, the proverb that matches the context should state that the experience would not be as bad or frightening as it looks.
Now, let’s look at the given options-
Option a- ‘He laughs best who laughs last’ means that even if someone is not fortunate now, he will be fortunate in the end. It is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘The devil is not so black as is painted’ means that someone or something is not as evil or malicious as it looks. It is similar in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option c- ‘A burnt child dreads the fire’ means that people try to avoid things that have hurt them in the past. It is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option d- ‘One swallow doesn’t make a summer’ means that it is not necessary that one good thing might lead to another good thing. It is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option e- ‘If you want a thing well done, do it yourself’ means that it is better to do things on your own rather than depending on others. It is different in meaning to the given context. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
So, the correct answer is “Option b”.

Note:
Proverbs reflect the metaphorical meaning rather than the literal meaning of its words. But ‘black’ in the above-given proverb is referring to its literal meaning of darkness.