comfort me. 1775 T. GILBERT Letter 4 May in W. B. Clark et al. Naval Documents of
American Revolution (1964) I. 279 All my Letters are inter septed by those Rebels who
want Every one to be kept in Dark like themselves. (Misery Loves Company). 1851 H. D.
THOREAU Journal 1 Sept. (1949) II. 440 If misery loves company, misery has company
enough. 2002 Washington Post 21 Aug. F1 The question is how to salvage a difficult
season. Refusing to open our depressing 401 (k) statements may work for a little while,
but most of us need something more emotionally nourishing. (And besides, misery loves
company.) 2005 J. VAN DE RUIT Spud (2006) 315 Fatty reckons that Geoff Lawson is
suicidal because of Amanda and Emberton. I laughed loudly—misery loves company.
malice; misfortuneMISFORTUNES never come singlyCf. early 14th-cent. Fr. ung meschief ne vient point seul, a misfortune does not come alone.c 1300 King Alisaunder (EETS) 1.1276 Men telleth in olde mone [lament] The qued
[harm] comuth nowher alone. 1509 A. BARCLAY Ship of Fools 236 Wyse men sayth,
and oft it fallyth so..That one myshap fortuneth neuer alone. 1622 J. MABBE tr. Aleman’s
Guzman d’Alfarache I. iii. Misfortunes seldome come alone. 1711 J. ADDISON Spectator
8 Mar. The Lady.. said to her Husband with a Sigh, My Dear, Misfortunes never come
single. 1791 T. BURR Letter 27 July in M. L. Davis Memoirs of Aaron Burr (1836) I. 301
We certainly see the old proverb very often verified. ‘That misfortunes never come
singly,’ that poor little woman is a proof. 1894 BLACKMORE Perlycross II. vii. As
misfortunes never come single, the sacred day robbed him of another fine resource. 1931
‘L. CHARTERIS’ Wanted for Murder v. Blessings, like misfortunes, never come singly.
There was even a packet of Havana cigarettes.. behind the bath salts. 1981 G. MITCHELL
Death-Cap Dancers v. ‘The car.. skidded and hit a tree.’ ‘Misfortunes never come singly.
misfortuneA MISS is as good as a mileThe syntax of the proverb has been distorted by abridgement: the original structure is
apparent from quot. 1614.
1614 W. CAMDEN Remains concerning Britain (ed. 2) 303 An ynche in a misse is
as good as an ell [a former measure of length equal to about 1.1 m]. 1655 T. FULLER
Hist. Cambridge 37 An hairs breadth fixed by a divine-finger, shall prove as effec-tuall a
separation from danger as a miles distance. 1788 American Museum Apr. 382 A miss is as
good as a mile. 1825 SCOTT Journal 3 Dec. (1939) 28 He was very near being a poet—
but a miss is as good as a mile, and he always fell short of the mark. 1978 T. SHARPE