A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

What is marriage?.. Marriage is a lottery. luck; marriage

There goes more to MARRIAGE than four bare legs in a bed

c 1549 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs I. viii. B1 In house to kepe household,

whan folks wyll wed, Mo thyngs belong, than foure bare legs in a bed. 1623 W.

CAMDEN Remains concerning Britain (ed. 3) 273 Longs more to marriage then foure

bare legges in a bed. 1738 SWIFT Polite Conversation i. 84 Consider, Mr. Neverout, Four

bare Legs in a Bed; and you are a younger Brother. 1958 in M. L. Wolf Dict. Painting p.

vii. As the old proverb has it, ‘there goes more to marriage than four bare legs in a bed.’

marriage

marriage see also DREAM of a funeral and you hear of a marriage; HANGING and
wiving go by destiny.

MARRIAGES are made in heaven

1567 W. PAINTER Palace of Pleasure xxiii. True it is, that marriages be don in

Heaven and performed in earth. 1580 LYLY Euphues & his England II. 223 Mariages are

made in heauen, though consumated in yearth. 1738 SWIFT Polite Conversation i. 78

They say, Marriages are made in Heaven; but I doubt, when she was married, she had no

Friend there. 1932 S. GIBBONS Cold Comfort Farm i. I prefer the idea of arrangement to

that other statement, that marriages are made in Heaven. 1980 ‘S. WOODS’ Weep for Her

187 She’s a sentimental sort who believes marriages are made in heaven. marriage

married see a YOUNG man married is a young man marred.

Never MARRY for money, but marry where money is

1870 TENNYSON Northern Farmer, New Style in The Holy Grail 163 Doànt thou

marry for munny, but goa wheer munny is! 1968 ‘W. HAGGARD’ Cool Day for Killing

ii. He’d have heard the ancient saw. Never marry for money, but marry where money is.

1991 Bookseller 16 Aug. 403 ‘Never marry money but go where money is.’ For the book

as an entity to make news consistently, it must go where news is consistently made—as

with the royal family. marriage; money

MARRY in haste and repent at leisure