A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

The General Lambert referred to in quot. 1680 was the Parliamentarian commander John
Lambert (1619–83), who played an important role in Cromwell’s military victories over the
Royalists in the English Civil War.

1680 J. AUBREY Letter 15 June in Brief Lives (1898) I. 12 I remember one sayeing

of generall Lambert’s, that ‘the best of men are but men at best’. 1885 T. HARLEY Moon

Lore 191 We can but repeat to ourselves the saying, ‘The best of men are but men at

best’. 2006 Africa News 16 April (online) The suave and customer-friendly postal officers

exercised the required social graces, ensuring that their customer understood, even

sympathised with, these seemingly able and efficient Kenyans, toiling under an imperfect

international postal system. After all, ‘the best of men are men at best.’ human nature;

pragmatism; virtue

The BEST things come in small packages

Parcels sometimes replaces packages. Cf. 13th-cent. Fr. menue[s] parceles ensemble sunt
beles, small packages considered together are beautiful; 1659 J. HOWELL Proverbs (French)
10 The best ointments are put in little boxes.

1877 B. FARJEON Letter 22 Jan. in E. Farjeon Nursery in Nineties (1935) V. As the

best things are (said to be) wrapped in small parcels (proverb), I select the smallest sheet

of paper I can find.. to make you acquainted with the.. state of affairs. 1979 R. THOMAS

Eighth Dwarf xviii. ‘The little gentleman.’.. ‘The best things sometimes come in small

packages,’ Jackson said, wincing at his own banality. 2002 Country Life 15 Aug. 61 Back

at the lodge, the scales turn at 18 pounds, four ounces—my personal best, and an über-

trout by any standards. .. Sometimes good things come in big packages. great and small

The BEST things in life are free

1927 B. G. DE SILVA et al. Best Things in Life are Free (song) 3 The moon belongs

to ev’ryone, The best things in life are free, The stars belong to ev’ryone, They gleam

there for you and me. 1955 W. GADDIS Recognitions II. ii. Someone once told them the

best things in life are free, and so they’ve got in the habit of not paying. 2002 Washington

Post 12 Jan. C12 The best things in life are free—friendships and sunshine still cost

nothing—but some of the worst things are also free. good things; money

It is BEST to be on the safe side

1668 DRYDEN & NEWCASTLE Sir Martin Mar-all V. i. I’m resolv’d to be on the