still waters run deep en · X
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Of Latin origin, but possibly popularized by William Shakespeare, c. 1590, in "Henry VI," part 2, act 3, scene 1: : Smooth runs the water where the brook is deep; : And in his simple show he harbours treason.
Meanings
-
A person with a calm appearance has, or may have, considerable inner emotion, character, or intellect.
Isabel Pierce, the central character of Sweetwater, Roxana Robinson's fluid third novel, gives the appearance of being a thoughtful, reserved, quiet woman who won't rock any boats in her life. Yet she harbors passions; it might be said of her that still waters run deep.
2003 June 8, Alice Elliott Dark, “Book Review: Rainy Day Woman”, in New York Times, retrieved 09 Jul 2008:I always knew she was an artful jade; 'still waters run deep;' but she shall be exposed, the mask shall be stripped from the hypocrite.
1822, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, A New-England Tale:Baxter had never known of any goings on in that quarter, but, bless you, still waters run deep, and these girls were all alike, one as bad as the other.
1903, Samuel Butler, chapter 58, in The Way of All Flesh:But still waters run deep; and no crisis had come in the years of her early maidenhood to demonstrate what lay hidden within her, like metal in a mine.
1885, Thomas Hardy, A Mere Interlude:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| still water runs deep | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
empty vessels make the most noise · the calm before the storm
Translations (30)
fi syvissä vesissä ne isot kalat uivat (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · cmn 靜水流深 /静水流深 (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · es las aguas quietas calan hondo (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · wa i s'fåt dmefiyî des coetès aiwes (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · cs tichá voda břehy mele (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · sh тиха вода брег рони (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · ru тихая вода́ берега подмывает (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · sh tiha voda brijege dere (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · wa c'est todi l'aiwe ki doime ki neye (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · pl cicha woda brzegi rwie (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · th น้ำนิ่งไหลลึก (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · uk тиха вода греблю рве (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · hu lassú víz partot mos (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · no det stille vann har den dype grunn (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · be у ціхім балоце чэрці вядуцца (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · nl stille wateren hebben diepe gronden (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · de stille Wasser sind tief (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · ja 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · da det stille vand har den dybe grund (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · id air tenang menghanyutkan (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · de stille Wasser gründen tief (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · ba йыуаштан йыуан сыға (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · ary دوز على لواد لهرهوري ولا تدوز على لواد سّكوتي (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · it l'acqua cheta rompe i ponti (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · ms diam-diam ubi berisi, diam-diam besi berkarat (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · fr il faut se méfier de l’eau qui dort (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · sv i de lugnaste vattnen går de största fiskarna (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · el τα σιγανά ποταμάκια να φοβάσαι (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · wa i n'a rén d'pé ki l'coete aiwe (a person's calm appearance may be misleading) · bg ти́хите води́ са на́й-дълбо́ки (a person's calm appearance may be misleading)