M. L. Anderson Proverbs in Scots (1957) no. 540 Fair shifts [exchange] na robberie. 1721
J. KELLY Scottish Proverbs 105 Fair Exchange is no Rob’ry. Spoken when we take up
one Thing, and lay down another. 1748 SMOLLETT Roderick Random II. xli. Casting an
eye at my hat and wig.. he took them off, and clapping his own on my head, declared, that
a fair exchange was no robbery. 1960 N. MITFORD Don’t tell Alfred xx. ‘So it was you
who took away the Harar frescoes?’ ‘Took away? We exchanged them. .. A good
exchange is no robbery, I believe?’ 1999 J. CUTLER Dying to Score i. 5 ‘Superintendent
Groom, sir, I have to report that I was just considering my spring-cleaning,’ I said. ‘And,
since fair exchange is no robbery, what about your thoughts?’ fair dealingexcites see the BLEATING of the kid excites the tiger.excuse see a BAD excuse is better than none; IGNORANCE of the law is no excuse for
breaking it.
He who EXCUSES, accuses himselfCf. L. dum excusare credis, accusas, while you believe you excuse, you accuse; Fr. qui
s’excuse, s’accuse.
1611 R. COTGRAVE Dict. French & English s.v. Excuser, Some when they mean to
excuse, accuse, themselues. 1884 J. PAYN Canon’s Ward II. xxxi. It is very difficult for a
person in my position to excuse without accusing himself, but I should like you to feel
that Miss Gilbert’s fortune has formed no part of her attraction for me. 1936 J. STAGGE
Murder gone to Earth vi. She spoke with such venom that I remembered the good old
French proverb of ‘he who excuses, accuses himself.’ 1968 G. WAGNER Elegy for
Corsica xi. The tests would be underground, every precaution taken, impossible to
contaminate anything. One had heard these pleas before .. Who excuses himself accuses
himself. conscience; excusesexpand see WORK expands so as to fill the time available.What can you EXPECT from a pig but a grunt?Used rhetorically with reference to coarse or boorish behaviour.1731 Poor Robin’s Almanack C6 If we petition a Hog, what can we expect but a