pines.’ 1990 F. LYALL Croaking of Raven vi. 2. 64 ‘.. when I was training my old boss
used to say: “If in doubt take the long road round. It’ll prove to be the shortest in the
end.”’ patience and impatience; ways and meanslongest see also (adjective) BARNABY bright, Barnaby bright, the longest day and the
shortest night; (adverb) a CREAKING door hangs longest; he who LAUGHS last, laughs
longest; they that LIVE longest, see most.
LOOK before you leapc 1350 Douce MS 52 no. 150 First loke and aftirward lepe. 1528 W. TYNDALE
Obedience of Christian Man 130 We say.. Loke yer thou lepe, whose literall sence is, doo
nothinge sodenly or without avisement. 1567 W. PAINTER Palace of Pleasure II. xxiv.
He that looketh not before he leapeth, may chaunce to stumble before he sleapeth. 1621
BURTON Anatomy of Melancholy II. iii. Looke before you leape. 1836 MARRYAT
Midshipman Easy I. vi. Look before you leap is an old proverb. .. Jack.. had pitched into a
small apiary, and had upset two hives of bees. 1941 C. MACKENZIE Red Tapeworm i.
Do you remember the rousing slogan which the Prime Minister gave the voters.. on the
eve of the last General Election?.. Look Before You Leap. 1979 D. MAY Revenger’s
Comedy ix. Changing horses, love? I should look before you leap. cautionlook see also a CAT may look at a king; the DEVIL looks after his own; DOGS look up to
you, cats look down on you, pigs is equal; never look a GIFT horse in the mouth; when all you
have is a HAMMER, everything looks like a nail; a MAN is as old as he feels, and a woman as
old as she looks; take care of the PENCE and the pounds will take care of themselves; those
who PLAY at bowls must look out for rubbers; one man may STEAL a horse, while another
may not look over a hedge.
LOOKERS-ON see most of the gameRecently also often with onlooker(s).1529 J. PALSGRAVE in Acolastus (EETS) p. xxxviii. It fareth between thee and me
as it doth between a player at the chess and a looker on, for he that looketh on seeth many
draughts that the player considereth nothing at all. 1597 BACON Essays ‘Of Followers’
7 V To take aduise of friends is euer honorable: For lookers on many times see more then
gamesters. 1666 G. TORRIANO Italian Proverbs III As the English say, The stander by
sees more than he who plays. 1850 F. E. SMEDLEY Frank Fairlegh vii. Remembering
the old adage, that ‘lookers-on see most of the game,’ I determined.. to accompany him.