A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

money.’ ‘Out of the mouths,’ conceded Leeyes. children; wisdom

move see FAITH will move mountains.

MUCH cry and little wool

a 1475 J. FORTESCUE On Governance of England (1885) x. His hyghnes shall haue

theroff, but as hadd the man that sherid is [sheared his] hogge, much crye and litil woll.

1659 J. HOWELL Proverbs (English) 13 A Great cry and little wooll, quoth the Devil

when he sheard the hogg. 1711 J. ADDISON Spectator 18 Dec. Those.. make the most

noise, who have least to sell.. to whom I cannot but apply that old Proverb of Much cry,

but little wool. 1922 Punch 29 Nov. 520 Ministers have taken good care that the adage,

‘Much cry and little wool,’ shall not apply to them. 1958 M. RENAULT King must Die I.

V. They keep it [the codpiece] on under their kilts .. ; much cry and little wool as the

saying goes. boasting; words and deeds

MUCH would have more

Cf. the MORE you get, the more you want.

c 1350 Douce MS 52 no. 65 Mykull [much] wulle more. a 1400 Wars of Alexander

(EETS) 1. 4397 Mekill wald have mare as many man spellis [tells]. 1597 T. MORLEY

Plain Introduction to Music II. 70 The Common Prouerb is in me verified, that much

would have more. 1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 3487 Much would have more; but

often meets with less. 1897 J. MCCARTHY Hist. Own Times V. 131 Expedition after

expedition has been sent out to extend the Egyptian frontier... ‘Much will have more,’

the old proverb says; but in this case.. much is compelled for the sake of.. security to try

to have more. 1928 J. S. FLETCHER Ransom for London V. iv. Why should ten millions

satisfy these people?.. There is an old adage to the effect that much wants more. greed;

riches

much see also you can have TOO much of a good thing.

Where there’s MUCK there’s brass

Brass is a slang and dialectal word for ‘money’ here.

1678 J. RAY English Proverbs (ed. 2) 179 Muck and money go together. 1855 H. G.