A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

You cannot CATCH old birds with chaff

The wise and experienced are not easily fooled.

1481 CAXTON Reynard the Fox (1880) xl. Wenest [do you think] thou thus to

deceyue. .. I am no byrde to be locked ne take by chaf. I know wel ynowh good corn. c

1590 Timon (1842) IV. ii. Tis well.—An olde birde is not caught with chaffe. 1670 J.

RAY English Proverbs 126 You can’t catch old birds with chaff. 1853 THACKERAY

Newcomes II. xv. They ogled him as they sang.. with which chaff our noble bird was by

no means to be caught. 1961 ‘L. BRUCE’ Die All, Die Merrily (1986) xx. 188 ‘But why,

headmaster? On what do you base that?’ ‘Aha,’ said Mr. Gorringer, ‘old birds are not to

be caught with chaff. I sensed it as soon as you failed to name him among your

“possibles.”’ experience; wisdom

catch see also it doesn’t matter if a CAT is black or white, as long as it catches mice; a
CAT in gloves catches no mice; a DROWNING man will clutch at a straw; EAGLES don’t
catch flies; the EARLY bird catches the worm; FIRST catch your hare; HONEY catches more
flies than vinegar; KEEP no more cats than will catch mice; if you RUN after two hares you
will catch neither; a SHUT mouth catches no flies; if the SKY falls we shall catch larks; SUE a
beggar and catch a louse; set a THIEF to catch a thief; see also caught.

CATCHING’s before hanging

1818 A. N. ROYALL Letters from Alabama (1830) xxxvi. Yes, says Marchant, but

catching’s before hanging—the villain’s cleared out. 1876 W. G. NASH New England

Life vii. Catchin’ before spankin’ is the rule. 1961 E. SEEMAN In Arms of Mountain 60

Ketchin’ comes before hangin’, I always say. action and consequence

All CATS are grey in the dark

The proverb, which turns on the concept that the night obscures all distinguishing features,
is used in a variety of contexts.

c 1549 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs i. v. A6V When all candels be out, all

cats be grey. All thyngs are then of one colour. 1596 T. LODGE Margarite of America

H2V All cattes are grey in the darke.. and therefore (good madam) you doe well to

preferre the eie. 1745 B. FRANKLIN Letter 25 June in Papers (1961) III. 31 And as in the

dark all Cats are grey, the Pleasure of corporal Enjoyment with an old Woman is at least