A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

E

eagle see where the CARCASE is, there shall the eagles be gathered together.

EAGLES don’t catch flies

Great or important people do not concern themselves with trifling matters or insignificant
people. Cf. ERASMUS Adages III. ii. aquila non captat muscas, the eagle does not catch flies.

1563 Mirror for Magistrates (1938) 405 The iolly Egles catche not little flees. 1581

G. PETTIE tr. S. Guazzo’s Civil Conversation II. 48V That is the right act of a Prince, and

therefore it is well saide, That the Egle catcheth not flies. 1786 H. L. PIOZZI Anecdotes

of Johnson 185 With regard to slight insults.. ‘They sting one (says he) but as a fly stings

a horse; and the eagle will not catch flies.’ 1942 H. C. BAILEY Nobody’s Vineyard i.

‘Eagles don’t catch flies.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘Inspectors of Police don’t trail urchins.’

1980 A. T. ELLIS Birds of Air (1983) 92 ’Aquila non captat muscas,’ she told him in a

reassuring whisper. ‘Eagles don’t catch flies.’ great and small

ear see FIELDS have eyes, and woods have ears; LITTLE pitchers have large ears; you
can’t make a SILK purse out of a sow’s ear; WALLS have ears.

The EARLY bird catches the worm

The corollary in quot. 2001, it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese, is attributed to US
comedian Steven Wright; it may be used independently to counsel caution.

1636 W. CAMDEN Remains concerning Britain (ed. 5) 307 The early bird catcheth

the worme. 1859 H. KINGSLEY Geoffrey Hamlyn II. xiv. Having worked.. all the week..

a man comes into your room at half-past seven.. and informs you that the ‘early bird gets

the worm’. 1892 I. ZANGWILL Big Bow Mystery i. Grodman was not an early bird, now

that he had no worms to catch. He could afford to despise proverbs now. 1996 R. POE

Return to House of Usher ix. 167 ‘I got home at midnight last night and I’m here at

seven. Where are they?.. Well, it’s the early bird that catches the worm, and no mistake.’

2001 Washington Post 4 Sept. C13 The early bird may catch the worm, but it’s the second

mouse that gets the cheese. Don’t be in a hurry to take a winner. diligence; efficiency

and inefficiency