A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

the hard way—and make the newspapers—is always pounding at the expert’s door.

opportunity

opportunity see also ENGLAND’S difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity; MAN’S extremity
is God’s opportunity.

opposite see DREAMS go by contraries.

orders see OBEY orders, if you break owners.

orphan see SUCCESS has many fathers, while failure is an orphan.

OTHER times, other manners

The proverb occurs in various forms and languages: cf. PINDAR Fragment ccxxv.

(Bowra), think different thoughts at different times; Fr. autres temps,
autres mœurs, other times, other customs.

1576 G. PETTIE Petit Palace 34 Other times, other wayes. 1902 A. DOBSON

Samuel Richardson iv. Notwithstanding the favourite explanation of ‘other times, other

manners’, contemporary critics of Clarissa found very much the same fault with her

history as people do to-day. 1945 F. THOMPSON Lark Rise viii. Other days, other ways..

. The old country midwives did at least succeed in bringing into the world many
generations of our forefathers. 1978 G. GREENE Human Factor iv. ii. ‘We used to have
better funerals in Africa.’.. ‘Oh well—other countries, other manners.’ change;
circumstances; past

other see also DO unto others as you would they should do unto you; the GRASS is always
greener on the other side of the fence; one HALF of the world does not know how the other
half lives; one HAND washes the other.

An OUNCE of practice is worth a pound of precept

A number of proverbs similar in form are illustrated below. An ounce used figuratively for
‘a small quantity’ is found in 1567 W. CECIL Letter in C. Read Mr. Secretary Cecil (1955)
xxi. Marry [to be sure], an ounce of advice is more worth to be executed aforehand than in the
sight of perils. Quot. 2002 suggests some convergence between this saying and PREVENTION