A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

S

Sabbath see Monday’s CHILD is fair of face. sack see EMPTY sacks will never stand
upright.

SAFE bind, safe find

1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs I. iii. A4 Than catche and hold while I

may, fast bind, fast fynde. 1573 T. TUSSER Husbandry (rev. ed.) II. 8 Drie sunne, drie

winde, safe bind, safe find. 1655 T. FULLER Church Hist. Britain IV. iv Because sure

binde, sure finde, he [Richard III] is said, and his Queen, to be Crowned again in York

with great solemnity. 1890 D. C. MURRAY John Vale’s Guard I. vi. ‘Safe bind, safe

find,’ said Uncle Robert, locking the door and pocketing the key. 1937 D. L. SAYERS

Busman’s Honeymoon xx. As I says to Frank Crutchley, safe bind, safe find, I says. 1947

M. GILBERT Close Quarters viii. ‘A careful man, the late head verger,’ remarked

Hazlerigg. ‘Careful of his own and his master’s property. Fast bind, fast find.’ gains and

losses; security

safe see also it is BEST to be on the safe side; BETTER be safe than sorry.

There is SAFETY in numbers

Now much more general in its application than its possible biblical source: PROVERBS
xi.14 (AV) In the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

1680 BUNYAN Mr. Badman 133 I verily think, (since in the multitude of

Counsellors there is safety) that if she had acquainted the Congregation with it,.. she had

had more peace. 1816 J. AUSTEN Emma II. i. She determined to call upon them and seek

safety in numbers. 1914 T. DREISER Titan xvii. He was beginning to run around with

other women. There was safety in numbers. 2001 Washington Post 12 Sept. C15 (Jeff

MacNelly’s Shoe comic strip) ‘Whoever said there’s safety in numbers.. never took a

math test.’ associates; security

said see LEAST said, soonest mended; what the SOLDIER said isn’t evidence. sailor see
HEAVEN protects children, sailors, and drunken men.