Common sayings

"Members of an avian species of identical plumage congregate" is a highfalutin (pompous or pretentious) way to say "Birds of a feather flock together."  The chart above came to me from Analytical Grammar on Facebook, along with these "answers" which use the "common" wording.

There's no use crying over spilled milk.
All that glitters is not gold.
Look before you leap.
Beauty is only skin-deep.

I used something like this when I taught communication skills at Chattanooga State, telling my students to translate the following into short, forceful English.

A trio of rodents with defective eyesight,
Observe how they perambulate.
They all pursued the agriculturist's spouse.
She dismantled their appendages with a carving utensil.
Have you ever witnessed such an exhibition in your existence,
as three rodents with defective eyesight?

Do you recognize the nursery rhyme?

Three blind mice.
(Three blind mice.)
See how they run.
(See how they run.)
They all ran after the farmer's wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife,
Did you ever see such a sight in your life
as three blind mice?

If you grew up in the United States, you probably recognized it and maybe even sang along as you automatically repeated the first two lines.  Unfortunately, I had two or three young nurses taking the class for continuing education who were from somewhere like Vietnam or Thailand.  They looked at the rest of us like we were crazy.