A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Of American origin: often shortened to the acronym wysiwyg (especially in computing) of
a system capable of reproducing the screen format of text on a printout.

1971 New York Times 14 Nov. 17 ‘What you see, is what you get’.. is one of those

recurring gag lines from the Flip Wilson Show that has quickly drifted into the language,

all but become a household expression. 1983 G. PETIEVICH To die in Beverly Hills vii.

The teleprinter raced as it printed the names of arrestees nicknamed Bones. ‘What you

see is what you get,’ she said, squirming to point her breasts. ‘I mean the printout of

course.’ 1990 Washington Post 10 Sept. (Business Section) 59 The lenders who would

lend to anyone who said ‘real estate’ aren’t lending now. So we aren’t going to build any

more product. What you see is what you get. 2007 Times2 13 Sept. 3 She then proudly

told us that she had read them all, as evidence of her upfront nature (’What you see is

what you get!’ she boasted). appearance, significant

SEE no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

The proverb is conventionally represented by figurines or pictures of three monkeys
covering respectively their eyes, ears, or mouth with their hands.

1926 Army & Navy Stores Catalogue 197 The three wise monkeys. ‘Speak no evil,

see no evil, hear no evil.’ 1939 I. OELLRICHS Man who didn’t Answer viii. ‘Hear no

evil, see no evil and speak no evil’ was all right in its place, but Matt knew.. they

gossiped as much there as in any other smallish town. 1978 T. L. SMITH Money War III.

233 It’s the sort of thing they want done but do not want to know about. See no evil, hear

no evil, speak no evil. 2001 Washington Times 18 July A14 Now, the International

Olympic Committee—a bastion of ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’.. —will send

the sports equivalent of missionaries to the 2008 Summer Games. good and evil

see see also BELIEVE nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see; there’s
none so BLIND as those who will not see; what the EYE doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve
over; HEAR all, see all, say nowt; they that LIVE longest, see most; LOOKERS-on see most
of the game; see a PIN and pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck; also SEEING, SEEN.

Good SEED makes a good crop

The obverse is found earlier in 1492 Dialogue of Salomon & Marcolphus (1892) 5 He that
sowyth chaf shall porely mowe.

1569 W. WAGER Longer Thou Livest A2 To be a good man it is also expedient Of