A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1829 COBBETT Advice to Young Men iv. clxxxi. It is an old saying, ‘Praise the

child, and you make love to the mother’; and it is surprising how far this will go. 1885 E.

J. HARDY How to be Happy though Married xix. ‘Praise the child, and you make love to

the mother,’ and it is a thing that no husband ought to overlook. children and parents

praise see also (noun) SELF-praise is no recommendation.

pray see be CAREFUL what you pray for, you might get it; the FAMILY that prays
together stays together; he that cannot PAY, let him pray.

precept see EXAMPLE is better than precept; an OUNCE of practice is worth a pound of
precept.

prepare see HOPE for the best and prepare for the worst; if you want PEACE, you must
prepare for war.

present see no TIME like the present.

preservation see SELF-preservation is the first law of nature.

pressed see one VOLUNTEER is worth two pressed men.

PRETTY is as pretty does

US equivalent to HANDSOME is as handsome does.

1853 T. C. HALIBURTON Sam Slick’s Wise Saws i. 136 Avery smart little boy; and

Old Hundreth.. tells me you are a very good boy, and that’s better, for pretty is as pretty

does. a 1871 A. CARY ‘Pretty is that Pretty Does’ in M. C. Ames Memorial of Alice and

Phoebe Cary (1874) 238 My child, who reads this simple lay With eyes down-dropt and

tender, Remember the old proverb says That pretty is, which pretty does And that worth

does not go nor stay For poverty nor splendor. 1991 H. P. MCADOO in Journal of Negro

Education lx. 362 On special occasions a big (and I do mean big) bow was placed on top

of my head. As my mother wrestled with my hair she often tossed out little proverbs such

as ‘Pretty is as pretty does.’ 2002 Washington Times 23 July B5 There is an old saying,

‘Pretty is as pretty does.’ It’s a wise woman who learns that lesson early. appearance;

conduct