A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1834 MARRYAT Peter Simple I. v. ‘Well,’ continued he, ‘it’s a poor heart that never rejoiceth.’ He then poured out half a tumble ...

post see the post of HONOUR is the post of danger. A POSTERN door makes a thief Similar to OPPORTUNITY makes a thief. A postern ...

poverty comes in at the door, love flies out at the windows’. 1894 J. LUBBOCK Use of Life iii. It is a mean proverb that, ‘When ...

influence and not authority. 1957 V. BRITTAIN Testament of Experience II. ix. The processes by which ‘power corrupts’ are perhap ...

1829 COBBETT Advice to Young Men iv. clxxxi. It is an old saying, ‘Praise the child, and you make love to the mother’; and it is ...

PREVENTION is better than cure Cf. c 1240 BRACTON De Legibus v. x. melius & utilius [est] in tempore occurrere, quam post ca ...

BARCLAY Ship of Fools 195 V First or last foule pryde wyll haue a fall. 1784 S. JOHNSON Letter 2 Aug. (1952) III. 191 I am now r ...

The PROOF of the pudding is in the eating Proof means ‘test’ rather than the more normal ‘verification, proving to be true’. c 1 ...

protect see HEAVEN protects children, sailors, and drunken men. prove see the EXCEPTION proves the rule. provide see TAKE the go ...

1577 R. STANYHURST Hist. Ireland in Holinshed Chronicles 89 It is easie to raze, but hard to buylde. 1587 J. BRIDGES Defence of ...

With allusion to TITUS i. 15 (AV) Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing p ...

c 1386 CHAUCER Tale of Melibee 1. 1793 An olde proverbe.. seith that ‘the good- nesse that thou mayst do this day, do it, and ab ...

Q The QUARREL of lovers is the renewal of love Cf. TERENCE Andria 1. 555 amantium irae amoris integratiost, lovers’ quarrels are ...

queer see there’s NOWT so queer as folk. quench see DIRTY water will quench fire. question see ASK a silly question and you get ...

R The RACE is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong With allusion to ECCLESIASTES ix. 11 (AV) The race is not to the sw ...

An archaic use of but to introduce an inevitable accompanying circumstance. 1726 J. ARBUTHNOT (title) It cannot rain but it pour ...

1659 J. HOWELL Proverbs (English) 12 Ther’s reason in rosting of Eggs. 1785 J. BOSWELL Journal of Tour of Hebrides 24 (note) Eve ...

It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and louring. ...

There is a REMEDY for everything except death Cf. medieval L. contra malum mortis, non est medicamen in hortis, against the evil ...

always returns to the sore tooth. REVENGE is a dish that can be eaten cold Vengeance need not be exacted immediately; but cf. 16 ...