A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

drink see EAT, drink, and be merry.. ; you can take a HORSE to the water, but you can’t
make him drink.

He that DRINKS beer, thinks beer

1820 W. IRVING Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon vii. 70 (footnote) They who drink

beer will think beer. 1867 A. D. RICHARDSON Beyond Mississippi i. ‘They who drink

beer think beer,’ but Catawba and Muscatel neither muddle the brain nor fire the

passions. 1912 R. A. FREEMAN Mystery of 31, New Inn v. ‘You despise the good old

British John Barleycorn.’ ‘He that drinks beer thinks beer,’ retorted Thorndyke. 1958 D.

G. BROWNE Death in Seven Volumes xii. ‘He who drinks beer, thinks beer,’ was one of

his favourite aphorisms. action and consequence; drunkenness; food and drink

A DRIPPING June sets all in tune

1742 Agreeable Companion 35 A dripping June Brings all Things in Tune. 1883 W.

ROPER Weather Sayings 22 A dry May and a dripping June brings all things in tune.

1912 Spectator 28 Dec. 1094 ‘A dripping June sets all in tune,’ and on sandy soils not

only farm crops but garden flowers do best in a wet summer. weather lore

DRIVE gently over the stones

1711 SWIFT Letter 30 June in Journal to Stella (1948) I. 301 A gallop: sit fast,

sirrah, and don’t ride hard upon the stones. 1788 R. CUMBERLAND in Observer IV. cxx.

We now stept into our hack, but not without a caution from Ned to the coachman to drive

gently over the stones. 1844 DICKENS Martin Chuzzlewit xxix. Gently over the stones,

Poll. Go a-tiptoe over the pimples! Poll. Go a-tiptoe over the pimples! Poll.. scraped the

lather off again with particular care. 1885 E. J. HARDY How to be Happy though Married

xi. Drive gently over the stones! This piece of advice.. given to inexperienced whips, may

be suggested metaphorically to the newly-married. marriage; tact

You can DRIVE out Nature with a pitchfork, but she keeps on coming back

Originally HORACE Epistles I. x. 24 naturam expelles furca, tamen usque recurret, you
may drive out nature with a pitchfork, but she will always return.

1539 R. TAVERNER tr. Erasmus’ Adages 44 Thurst out nature wyth a croche [staff],