A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

c 1350 Douce MS 52 no. 122 Of a gode begynnyng comyth a gode endyng. 1710 S.

PALMER Proverbs 1 A good Beginning makes a good End. .. ‘Tis a great point of

Wisdom.. to begin at the right end. 1850 ‘M. TENSAS’ Odd Leaves from Life of

Louisiana ‘Swamp Doctor’ 109 I hope my future lot will be verification of the old adage,

that a ‘bad beginning makes a good ending’, for mine is bad enough. 1934 G. WESTON

His First Million Women xvi. I was brought up to believe that ‘Of a good beginning

cometh a good ending.’.. ‘You can’t do a good plastering job if your laths aren’t right to

begin with.’ beginnings and endings

There’s many a GOOD cock come out of a tattered bag

The proverb is derived from cockfighting. Similar in sentiment is: 1721 J. KELLY Scottish
Proverbs 7 An ill Cow may have a good Calf. Bad People may have good Children.

1883 C. S. BURNE Shropshire Folklore xxxvi. There’ll come a good cock out of a

ragged bag. ..A cockfighting simile, lately used by a farmer, whose buildings were out of

repair, but his stock in good condition. 1953 R. SUTCLIFF Simon xiv. ‘There’s many a

good cock come out of a tattered bag,’ said the dark shape, slowly. There was an instant

of .. silence, and then Simon said, ‘And a good tune played on an old fiddle.’

appearance, deceptive

No GOOD deed goes unpunished

Sometimes attributed to Oscar Wilde, but not traced in his writings.

1938 J. AGATE Ego 3 25 Jan. 275 Pavia was in great form to-day: ‘Every good deed

brings its own punishment.’ 1967 J. ORTON Diaries (1986) 13 June 209 Very good line

George came out with at dinner: ‘No good deed ever goes unpunished.’ 2002 Washington

Post 11 Jan. C3 Finally, the wages of purity, naivete and an excessive love of mankind

catch up with her. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished, no unloved and

unimportant humans can expect not to be squashed. just deserts

The GOOD die young

1697 DEFOE Character of Dr. Annesley 3 The best of Men cannot suspend their

Fate; The Good die early, and the Bad die late. 1814 WORDSWORTH Excursion I. 27

The good die first, And they whose hearts are dry as summer dust Burn to the socket.

1852 A. CARY Clovernook 39 Sarah.. was dead.. aged nineteen years. .. The old truth