A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

MAN cannot live by bread alone With allusion to two biblical passages (both AV): DEUTERONOMY viii. 3 Man doth not live by bread ...

MAN is the measure of all things Cf. PROTAGORAS in Plato Cratylus vi. man is the measure of all things. 1547 W. BALDWIN Morall P ...

on the church if ever you’re mentally run down.’.. ‘You mean “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity”?’ 1980 Times 4 Dec. 17 Those ...

What MANCHESTER says today, the rest of England says tomorrow The proverb occurs in a variety of forms. Quot. 1902 sets it in it ...

manners see also EVIL communications corrupt good manners; OTHER times, other manners. manure see MONEY, like manure, does no go ...

Cf. CATO THE ELDER in Aulus Gellius Noctes Atticae XIII. xviii. 1 (saepe audivi) inter os atque offam multa intervenire posse, ( ...

many see also there’s many a GOOD tune played on an old fiddle; many a TRUE word is spoken in jest; many go out for WOOL and com ...

What is marriage?.. Marriage is a lottery. luck; marriage There goes more to MARRIAGE than four bare legs in a bed c 1549 J. HEY ...

This formula can be applied to rash steps other than marriage: e.g. 1998 Spectator 10 Jan. 6 All modern governments legislate in ...

martyr see the BLOOD of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. mass see MEAT and mass never hindered man. Like MASTER, like man ...

The proverb literally means that the weakness of chickens born in May is apparent from their continual feeble cries. 1868 A. HIS ...

Widely associated with carpentry. A similar sentiment is THINK twice, cut once. 1901 Manitoba Morning Free Press 15 Nov. 7 (adve ...

Meat and masse never hindred no man. 1817 SCOTT Rob Roy III. ii. ‘What the devil are ye in sic a hurry for?’ said Garschattachin ...

1896 J. C. HUTCHESON Crown & Anchor xvi. I can’t see the use of anticipating the worst and trying to meet troubles halfway. ...

mending see a WOMAN and a ship ever want mending. mention see never mention ROPE in the house of a man who has been hanged. merr ...

MIGHT is right C f. PLATO Republic I. 338c for I [Thrasymachus] say that justice is nothing else than the interest of the strong ...

Quoted in SEXTUS EMPIRICUS Against Professors I. 287 the mills of the gods are late to grind, but they grind small. 1640 G. HERB ...

comfort me. 1775 T. GILBERT Letter 4 May in W. B. Clark et al. Naval Documents of American Revolution (1964) I. 279 All my Lette ...

Throwback vii. If you aimed at a grouse it was hit or miss and a miss was as good as a mile. error You never MISS the water till ...

MODERATION in all things A more recent formulation of the idea contained in there is MEASURE in all things. The Latin word modus ...