A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

point see POSSESSION is nine points of the law.

poison see one man’s MEAT is another man’s poison.

poke see you should KNOW a man seven years before you stir his fire.

policy see HONESTY is the best policy.

politeness see CIVILITY costs nothing; PUNCTUALITY is the politeness of princes.

POLITICS makes strange bedfellows

Politics has long been considered a plural noun; its use with a singular verb is
comparatively recent. A well-established variant of ADVERSITY makes strange bedfellows.

1839 P. HONE Diary 9 July (1927) I. 404 Party politics, like poverty, bring men

‘acquainted with strange bedfellows’. 1870 C. D. WARNER My Summer in Garden

(1871) 187 The Doolittle raspberries have sprawled all over the strawberry-beds: so true

is it that politics makes strange bed-fellows. 1936 M. MITCHELL Gone with Wind lviii.

Ashley Wilkes and I are mainly responsible. Platitudinously but truly, politics make

strange bedfellows. 1980 P. VAN GREENAWAY Dissident vii. Even enemies have

something in common. Statecraft produces strange bedfellows. 1995 Washington Times

31 Mar. A4 Politics makes strange bedfellows, if Mr. Hyde will forgive the unforgivable

but irresistible metaphor. associates; politics

It is a POOR dog that’s not worth whistling for

1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs I. xi. It is, as I haue learned in lystnyng, A

poore dogge, that is not worth the whistlyng. 1614 W. CAMDEN Remains concerning

Britain (ed. 2) 303 A poore dog that is not worth the whystling. 1738 SWIFT Polite

Conversation i. 41 Because, Miss, you never ask’d me; and ‘tis an ill Dog that’s not

worth whistling for. 1952 W. S. HOOLE Alias Simon Suggs i. It was a poor dog indeed

that wasn’t worth whistling for. value

It is a POOR heart that never rejoices