A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1979 Daily Telegraph 27 July 19 That hoary old adage sell in May and go away, has

yet again been vindicated with the Financial Times 30 share index falling 97 points, from

559 on the May 4 post-election day to last night’s 462 and with little immediate relief in

sight. 1992 Economist 11 July 87/1 ‘Sell in May and go away,’ says the old adage. This

year it has been right on the button: a bad June for world stock-markets is being followed

by a worse July. 2001 New York Times The pattern [of stock market fluctuation] is the

factual basis for the saying ‘Sell in May and go away.’ 2002 Times 15 May 34 In the City,

you are about as likely to hear someone utter the old adage ‘sell in May, go away, come

back on St Leger’s Day’ as you are to spot gentlemen wearing bowler hats and carrying

rolled umbrellas. business

Don’t SELL the skin till you have caught the bear

The origin of this saying is to be found in a fable added by Lorenzo Astemio (Laurentius
Abstemius) to a collection of Aesop’s fables compiled in the 1490s.

1578 H. WOTTON tr. J. Yver Courtly Controversie of Cupids Cantles N4V His eyes,

greedily fixed vpon his faire Mistresse, solde vnto him (as men say) the skin before the

beast is taken. 1580 LYLY Euphues & his England ii. 53 I trusted so much, that I solde

the skinne before the Beaste was taken. 1641 CHARLES I Comment (on Remonstrance) 1

Dec. in Rushworth Historical Collections (1692) III. v. 1,436 We must not dispose of the

Bears skin till the Bear be dead. 1692 R. L’ESTRANGE Aesop (ed. 3) 270 He bade me

have a care for the future, to make sure of the bear before I sell his skin. 1721 KELLY

Scottish Proverbs 376 You sell the Bear Skin on his Back. 1999 R. CARPENTER Scarlet

Pimpernel (BBC TV, episode 1) [CHAUVELIN:] The trap is set, and he’s about to walk

into it. [MARGUERITE:] Don’t sell the skin till you’ve caught the bear. optimism

sell see also BUY in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest.

seller see the BUYER has need of a hundred eyes, the seller of but one.

send see never send a BOY to do a man’s job; GOD never sends mouths but He sends
meat; GOD sends meat, but the Devil sends cooks.

SEPTEMBER blow soft, till the fruit’s in the loft

1571 T. TUSSER Husbandry (rev. ed.) F2 September blowe soft, Till fruite be in

loft. 1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 6214 September, blow soft, Till the Fruit’s in the