xiv. The modern fashion [of research] comes, I suppose, from a literal acceptance of the
ridiculous dictum that genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains. diligencegentleman see when ADAM delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?; an
ENGLISHMAN’S word is his bond; it takes three GENERATIONS to make a gentleman.
gently see DRIVE gently over the stones; EASY does it; if you gently touch a NETTLE
it’ll sting you for your pains.
get see you cannot get BLOOD from a stone; be CAREFUL what you pray for, you might
get it; if you don’t like the HEAT, get out of the kitchen; if you LIE down with dogs, you will
get up with fleas; don’t get MAD, get even; the MORE you get, the more you want; what a
NEIGHBOUR gets is not lost; you cannot get a QUART into a pint pot; what you SEE is what
you get; you don’t get SOMETHING for nothing; also GOT.
Never look a GIFT horse in the mouthA horse’s age is commonly gauged by the state of its teeth. The proverb warns against
questioning the quality or use of a lucky chance or gift. Cf. a 420 ST. JEROME Commentary
on Epistle to Ephesians Preface noli.. ut vulgare proverbium est, equi dentes inspicere donati,
do not, as the common proverb says, look at the teeth of a gift horse.
a 1510 J. STANBRIDGE Vulgaria (EETS) 27 A gyuen hors may not [be] loked in
the tethe. 1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs I. v. B2V Where gyfts be gyuen
freely, est west north or south, No man ought to loke a geuen hors in the mouth. 1659 N.
R. Proverbs 80 No man ought to look a guift Horse in the mouth. 1710 S. PALMER
Proverbs 40 Never look a Gift Horse in the Mouth. 1892 G. & W. GROSSMITH Diary of
a Nobody xviii. I told him it was a present from a dear friend, and one mustn’t look a gift-
horse in the mouth. 2002 Oldie Mar. 34 Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, let not the
grass grow under thy feet, and never look a gift horse in the mouth. giving and
receiving; gratitude and ingratitudegift see also FEAR the Greeks bearing gifts.gill see every HERRING must hang by its own gill.girl see BOYS will be boys.