A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

without breaking eggs.

1859 T. P. THOMPSON Audi Alteram Partem II. xc. We are walking upon eggs and..

the omelet will not be made without the breaking of some. 1897 R. L. STEVENSON St.

Ives viii. You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs,.. and it is no bagatelle to

escape from Edinburgh Castle. One of us, I think, was even killed. 1974 J. MANN

Sticking Place iv. ‘In your philosophy, it seems that some men have no right to live at

all.’.. ‘You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, Mother.’ 2000 National

Review 20 Mar. 22 Nor should anyone be satisfied with the argument that eggs must be

broken to make an omelet—the idea, in other words, that effective law enforcement

requires the occasional slaying of an innocent citizen. pragmatism; ways and means

ONCE a—, always a—

This formula produces a limitless variety of proverbs, many of them depreciatory. Some
are of long standing, while others appear to be one-offs. A small selection of sayings in this
form is illustrated below and in the next two entries.

1622 J. MABBE tr. Aleman’s Guzman I.I. i. Once a knaue, and euer a knaue:.. For he that
hath once beene naught, is presumed to bee so still.. not considering.. whether.. hee had
reformed his manners or no. 1655 T. FULLER Church Hist. Britain VII. xxviii. Latimer by the
courtesie of England (once a bishop, and ever a bishop) was in civility saluted Lord. 1706 J.
STEVENS Spanish & English Dict. s.v. Hurtar, Once a Thief, always a Thief. 1820 M.
EDGEWORTH Letter 15 Nov. in Maria Edgeworth in France & Switzerland (1979) 277 She
loses her rank.. by marrying one of inferior rank... French and Russians are with reason
surprised with the superior gallantry of our customs which say once a Lady and always a lady.
1953 R. CHANDLER Long Good-bye xliv. I went out of the door and got out of the building
fast. Once a patsy [dupe], always a patsy. 2002 Times 2 21 May 6 Yet although lapsed
Catholics may rebel on the surface, they cannot escape the Once a Catholic, Always a Catholic
dictum. constancy and inconstancy; human nature

ONCE a priest, always a priest

An act enabling the clergy of the Church of England to unfrock themselves (the Clerical
Disabilities Act) was passed on 9 Aug. 1870.

1859 G. A. SALA Twice round Clock 290 The great case of Horne Tooke versus the

House of Commons—’Once a priest forever a priest’. 1865 L. STEPHEN Life & Letters

(1906) ix. As in this.. country we stick to the maxim, ‘once a parson, always a parson,’ I