When I gave my talk, I showed that many modern proverbs take a word and use it two different ways. Here's an example:

They're sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I collected that from a loud voice in a Wendy's restaurant near the University of Kansas Medical Center.
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Here are three I made up myself, based on older proverbs:

The watched pot never boils over.
The early worm gets eaten by the bird. (a common theme)
He who hesitates is sometimes saved.

Lighter, I know what you mean. Apparently some people think proverbs have to be old-fashioned and preferably rural. That's not my view.