A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Y

year see there are no BIRDS in last year’s nest; a CHERRY year a merry year; KEEP a
thing seven years and you’ll always find a use for it; you should KNOW a man seven years
before you stir his fire; ONE year’s seeding makes seven years’ weeding; TURKEY, heresy,
hops, and beer came into England all in one year.

yesterday see JAM tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today.

YORKSHIRE born and Yorkshire bred, strong in the arm and weak in the head

The names of other (chiefly, northern) English counties and towns are also used instead of
Yorkshire.

1852 Notes & Queries 1st Ser. V. 573 Derbyshire born and Derbyshire bred, Strong

i’ th’ arm, and weak i’ th’ head. 1869 W. C. HAZLITT English Proverbs 273 Manchester

bred: Long in the arms, and short in the head. 1920 C. H. DOUGLAS Credit-Power &

Democracy vi. Organised labour at this time shows considerable susceptibility to the

Border gibe of being ‘strong i’ th’ arm and weak i’ th’ head’. 1966 J. BINGHAM Double

Agent ii. He thought, Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred, strong in th’ arm and weak in’t

head; but it wasn’t true, most of them were as quick as weasels and sharp as Sheffield

steel. human nature

YOUNG folks think old folks to be fools, but old folks know young folks to be fools

1577 J. GRANGE Golden Aphroditis O2V Young men thinks old men fooles, but old

men knoweth well, Yong men are fooles. 1605 W. CAMDEN Remains concerning Britain

221 Wise was that saying of Doctor Medcalfe: You Yong men do thinke vs olde men to

be fooles, but we olde men do know that you yong men are fooles. 1790 R. TYLER

Contrast v. ii. Young folks think old folks to be fools; but old folks know young folks to

be fools. 1850 F. E. SMEDLEY Frank Fairlegh xxx. ‘Young folks always think old ones

fools, they say.’ ‘Finish the adage, Sir, that old folks know young ones to be so, and then

agree with me that it is a saying founded on prejudice.’ 1930 A. CHRISTIE Murder at

Vicarage xxxi. I remember a saying of my Great Aunt Fanny’s. I was sixteen at the time

and thought it particularly foolish. .. She used to say, ‘The young people think the old

people are fools—but the old people know the young people are fools!’ fools; old age;

youth