A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1824 EMERSON Journal (1961) II. 268 There is no royal road to Learning. 1857

TROLLOPE Barchester Towers II. i. There is no royal road to learning; no short cut to

the acquirement of any valuable art. 1941 H. G. WELLS You can’t be too Careful II. vi.

‘There’s no Royal Road to Learning,’ said Mr. Myame. ‘No. “Thorough” has always been

my motto.’ 1995 Nature 26 Jan. 297/3 There are well-established criteria by which to

distinguish homology from homoplasy but there is still no royal road to truth. diligence;

learning; ways and means

rubber see those who PLAY at bowls must look out for rubbers.

rudder see who won’t be RULED by the rudder must be ruled by the rock.

rue see MARRY in May, rue for aye.

rule see (noun) the EXCEPTION proves the rule; there is an EXCEPTION to every rule;
(verb) DIVIDE and rule; the HAND that rocks the cradle rules the world.

Who won’t be RULED by the rudder must be ruled by the rock

1666 G. TORRIANO Italian Proverbs 286 That ship which will have no rudder,

must have a rock. 1823 I. DISRAELI Curiosities of Literature 2nd Ser. I. 459 There is a

Cornish proverb, ‘Those who will not be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock’—

the strands of Cornwall, so often covered with wrecks, could not fail to impress on the

imaginations of its inhabitants the two objects from whence they drew this salutary

proverb. 1911 B. WILBERFORCE Secret of Quiet Mind 79 Jesus.. is weeping because the

spiritual blindness of the people made.. the destruction of Jerusalem.. inevitable. ‘He who

will not be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock,’ but ruled he must be. 1984 R.

HENDERSON Salty Words 165 The nautical saying Who won’t be ruled by the rudder

must be ruled by the rock.. means ‘those who won’t listen to reason must bear the

consequences’. action and consequence; discipline

RULES are made to be broken

1934 S. PALMER ‘Riddle of the Forty Costumes’ in Mystery (Jan.) ‘There’s nothing

in it for the Homicide Squad. We have rules, you know.’ ‘Fiddlesticks,’ Miss Withers

retorted. ‘Rules are made to break.’ 1938 F. VIVIAN Black Alibi xxiii. 212 ‘An old rule