that fouls its own nest; in vain the NET is spread in the sight of the bird.
There are no BIRDS in last year’s nestCircumstances have altered.1620 T. SHELTON tr. Cervantes’ Don Quixote II. lxxiv. I pray you go not on so fast,
since that in the nests of the last yeere, there are no birds of this yeere. Whilom
[formerly] I was a foole, but now I am wise. 1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 4863
There are no Birds this Year, in last year’s Nest. 1845 LONGFELLOW Poems 62 All
things are new..even the nest beneath the eaves;—There are no birds in last year’s nest.
1946 H. MCELROY Unkindly Cup I. ii. 23 ‘I am not as bad, or as unfeeling as I sound. It
was my memory that was groaning—not the other part of my anatomy.’ ‘“There are no
birds in last year’s nests”,’ Bland quoted sententiously. change; circumstancesBIRDS in their little nests agreeA nursery proverb, also used as a direction, which states that young children should not
argue among themselves.
1715 I. WATTS Divine Songs 25 Birds in their little Nests agree; And ‘tis a
shameful Sight, When Children of one Family Fall out, and chide, and fight. 1868 L. M.
ALCOTT Little Women i. ‘Birds in their little nests agree,’ sang Beth, the peacemaker.
1961 J. STEINBECK Winter of our Discontent I. i. ‘Birds in their little nests agree,’ he
said. ‘So why can’t we?.. You kids can’t get along even on a pretty morning.’ 1980 A. T.
ELLIS Birds of Air (1983) 52 Her mother used to say to her and Mary: ‘Birds in their
little nests agree.’ harmony and disharmonyBIRDS of a feather flock togetherPeople of the same (usually, unscrupulous) character associate with one another, as do
birds of the same species. Cf. APOCRYPHA Ecclesiasticus xxvii. 9 (AV) The birds will resort
unto their like, so will truth return unto them that practise in her.
1545 W. TURNER Rescuing of Romish Fox B8 Byrdes of on kynde and color flok
and flye allwayes together. 1599 J. MINSHEU Spanish Grammar 83 Birdes of a feather
will flocke together. 1660 W. SECKER Nonsuch Professor 81 Our English Proverb.. That