A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1642 G. TORRIANO Select Italian Proverbs 90 Sacco vuoto non può star in piedi.

An emptie sack cannot stand upright: nota, Applied to such as either pinch themselves, or

are pincht by hard fortune. 1758 B. FRANKLIN Poor Richard’s Almanack (Introduction)

Poverty often deprives a Man of all Spirit and Virtue; ‘Tis hard for an empty Bag to stand

up-right. 1860 G. ELIOT Mill on Floss I. I. viii. There’s folks as things ‘ull allays go

awk’ard with: empty sacks ‘ull never stand upright. 1958 B. BEHAN Borstal Boy III. 310

We’ve a long night before us and an empty sack won’t stand. 1978 J. MCGAHERN

Getting Through 99 ‘Give this man something.’.. ‘A cup of tea will do fine,’ he had

protested. ..’Nonsense. ..Empty bags can’t stand.’ hunger; poverty

EMPTY vessels make the most sound

Foolish or witless persons are the most talkative or noisy. Vessel here means a receptacle,
as a drinking-vessel.

a 1430 J. LYDGATE Pilgrimage of Man (EETS) 1. 15933 A voyde vessel.. maketh

outward a gret soun, Mor than.. what yt was ful. 1547 W. BALDWIN Treatise of Moral

Philosophy IV. Q4 As emptye vesselles make the lowdest sounde: so they that haue least

wyt, are the greatest babblers. 1599 SHAKESPEARE Henry V IV. iv. 64 I did never know

so full a voice issue from so empty a heart: but the saying is true—The empty vessel

makes the greatest sound. 1707 SWIFT Essay on Faculties of Mind I. 249 Empty Vessels

sound loudest. 1967 RIDOUT & WITTING English Proverbs Explained 51 Empty vessels

make the most sound. 1982 J. BINGHAM Brock & Defector xiii. ‘All talk and no action.

.. ‘ ’Empty vessels make the most noise,’ Brock agreed. 2002 Times: Register 21 Oct. 10

The adage ’empty vessels make most noise’ has certainly come to mind as I have listened

to many other politicians. boasting; words and deeds

empty see also BETTER are small fish than an empty dish; don’t THROW the baby out
with the bathwater.

enchantment see DISTANCE lends enchantment to the view.

The END crowns the work

Cf. L. finis coronat opus, the end crowns the work; 15th-cent. Fr. la fin loe l’œuvre, the end
praises the work.

1509 H. WATSON Ship of Fools Dd1 For the ende crowneth. 1592 G. DELAMOTHE

French Alphabet II. 29 The end doth crowne the worke. .. La fin couronne l’œuvre. 1602