A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1742 GRAY Poems (1966) 10 Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where

ignorance is bliss, ‘Tis folly to be wise. 1865 SURTEES Facey Romford’s Hounds lxxi.

Of course Facey knew nothing about Lucy, and, upon the principle that where ignorance

is bliss ‘twere folly to be wise, Soapey was not extra-inquisitive about her. 1925 S.

O’CASEY Juno & Paycock II. 49 ‘You ought to be ashamed o’ yourself.. not to know the

History o’ your country.’.. ‘Where ignorance’s bliss ‘tis folly to be wise.’ 1983 ‘J.

GASH’ Sleepers of Erin i. Antique dealers haven’t a clue. Pathetic. God knows why, but

dealers always want to prove that ignorance really is bliss. 2001 Times 23 Nov. 20 And

the moral of our present situation is: If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?

ignorance

IGNORANCE of the law is no excuse for breaking it

There is a hoary L. legal maxim: ignorantia iuris neminem excusat, ignorance of the law
excuses nobody.

c 1412 T. HOCCLEVE De Regimene Principum (EETS) 92 Excuse schal hym naght

his ignorance. 1530 C. ST. GERMAN Dialogues in English II. xlvi. Ignorance of the law

though it be inuincible doth not excuse. 1616 T. DRAXE Adages 100 The ignorance of the

law excuseth no man. a 1654 J. SELDEN Table-Talk (1689) 30 Ignorance of the Law

excuses no man; not that all Men know the Law, but because ‘tis an excuse every man

will plead, and no man can tell how to confute him. 1830 N. AMES Mariner’s Sketches

xxviii. Ignorance of the law excuses nobody... The gates of mercy are forever shut

against them. 1979 Private Eye 17 Aug. 6 [He] was fined £5 at Marylebone Court when

he learned that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. excuses; law and

lawyers

It’s an ILL bird that fouls its own nest

A condemnation of a person who vilifies his own family, country, etc. Cf. medieval L.
nidos commaculans inmundus habebitur ales, the bird is unclean that soils its nest.

a 1250 Owl & Nightingale (1960) 1. 99 Dahet habbe [a curse on] that ilke best that

fuleth his owe nest. c 1400 N. BOZON Moral Tales (1889) 205 Hyt ys a fowle brydde that

fylyth hys owne neste. 1591 H. SMITH Preparative to Marriage 82 It becommeth not any

woman to set light by her husband, nor to publish his infirmities for they say, it is an euill

bird that defileth his owne nest. 1670 J. RAY English Proverbs 62 It’s an ill bird that

beraies its own nest. 1817 SCOTT Rob Roy II. xiii. Where’s the use o’ vilifying ane’s

country. .. It’s an ill bird that files its ain nest. 1926 Times 7 Sept. 17 Nothing.. can

excuse the bad taste of Samuel Butler’s virulent attack upon his defenceless family. .. It’s