A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

mending see a WOMAN and a ship ever want mending.

mention see never mention ROPE in the house of a man who has been hanged.

merrier see the MORE the merrier.

It is MERRY in hall when beards wag all

c 1300 King Alisaunder (EETS) 1.1164 Swithe [so] mury hit is in halle, When the

burdes wawen alle! 1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs II. vii. 13V It is mery in

halle, When berds wag all. 1598 SHAKESPEARE Henry IV, Pt. 2 v. iii. 35 Be merry, be

merry, my wife has all. .. ‘Tis merry in hall when beards wag all. 1738 SWIFT Polite

Conversation ii. 170 Come; they say, ‘Tis merry in Hall, when Beards wag all. 1857

TROLLOPE Barchester Towers III. iv. ‘’Twas merry in the hall when the beards wagged

all;’ and the clerical beards wagged merrily.. that day. 1976 ‘J. DAVEY’ Treasury Alarm

i. Presumably this is how the Treasury greybeards get their fun. Are they in fact grey-

bearded. One rather assumes a great wagging of beards: ’tis merry in hall when beards

wag all.? hospitality; merriment

merry see also a CHERRY year, a merry year; EAT, drink, and be merry...

Merryman see the best DOCTORS are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet, and Dr Merryman.

mice see the BEST-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley; it doesn’t matter if a
CAT is black or white, as long as it catches mice; a CAT in gloves catches no mice; when the
CAT’S away, the mice will play; KEEP no more cats than will catch mice.

mickle see MANY a little makes a mickle; MANY a mickle makes a muckle.

midge see the MOTHER of mischief is no bigger than a midge’s wing.

midnight see one HOUR’S sleep before midnight is worth two after.

mid-stream see don’t CHANGE horses in mid-stream.