juː kæn kætʃ mɔːr flaɪz wɪð ˈhʌni ðæn ˈvɪnɪɡər
Relationships
neutral
intermediate
- Literally:
- Honey attracts flies better than vinegar
What does "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar" mean?
- Kindness and politeness are more effective than aggression
- Being nice achieves better results than being harsh
Examples
- Try being nicer to him—you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
- Remember, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
- She learned you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
Origin
Proverb dating to the 1600s. Flies are attracted to sweet things (honey) rather than sour things (vinegar).
How to use it
Classic advice about diplomacy and persuasion. Often used with difficult people.
Similar expressions
kindness works better
nice approach wins
gentleness succeeds
Opposites
tough love
harsh methods
aggressive approach
Related idioms
- break the ice
To initiate conversation in an awkward social situation
- see eye to eye
To agree with someone completely
- head over heels
Completely and deeply in love
- pull someone's leg
To tease or joke with someone
- cut someone some slack
To be less strict or demanding with someone
- tie the knot
To get married
Use it in a practice answer
Try "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.