Fire is a good servant but a bad master
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Proverbial Meaning: Fire is very useful when it is
under one's control, but very dangerous when it is not.
Literal Origins: Servants usually do what you tell
them, where masters tell you what to do, so fire makes a better servant because
no one would want a master that could burn you.
Common Usage: The idea of masters and servants is very
old-fashioned now, so it is very unlikely that most English people would use
this proverb, unless they happen to be aristocrats with servants.
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