it is easy to accuse someone of wrongdoing when they are not there to defend themselves; those who were absent cannot complain that they did not have a say in the decisions that were made
many a mickle makes a muckle; little strokes fell great oaks; mighty oaks from little acorns grow; take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves; every little helps
A mnemonic device meant to discourage people from using the conditional mood after the conjunction si, which is ungrammatical in standard French. The use of the idiom rai refers to the repetitive sound-alike nature of four endings of the conditional tense: the first, second and third person singular as well as the third person plural (-rais/-rais/-rait/-raient), thus a recognizable trait.
with one's eyes closed, hands down, one-handed, standing on one's head, with one hand tied behind one's back (very easily); without hesitation, in total confidence, sight unseen