A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

grunt. 1827 SCOTT Journal 10 Apr. (1941) 41 They refuse a draught of £20, because, in

mistake, it was £8 overdrawn. But what can be expected of a sow but a grumph? 1910 P.

W. JOYCE English as We speak it in Ireland x. Of a coarse, ill-mannered man, who uses

unmannerly language: ‘What could you expect from a pig but a grunt.’ 1997 Spectator 22

Nov. 37/2 References in Mr Cole’s letter to the ‘bottle’ were, to say the least, distasteful.

But then, as they say, ‘What can you expect from a pig but a grunt?’ conduct; human

nature

expect see also BLESSED is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.

EXPERIENCE is the best teacher

The Latin tag experientia docet, experience teaches, gave rise to a large number of
proverbs. There is no standard form, and the sayings given below illustrate the themes that
‘one learns (also, fools learn) by experience’ and that ‘experience is a hard teacher’. See also
EXPERIENCE keeps a dear school.

a 1568 R. ASCHAM Schoolmaster (1570) I. 19 Erasmus.. saide wiselie that

experience is the common scholehouse of foles. 1618 N. BRETON Court & Country B4

Let ignorance be an enemy to wit, and experience be the Mistris of fools. 1670 J. RAY

English Proverbs 86 Experience is the mistress of fools. Experientia stultorum magistra.

Wise men learn by others harms, fools by their own. 1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no.

1484 Experience teacheth Fools; and he is a great one, that will not learn by it. 1856 F. M.

WHITCHER Widow Bedott Papers xxix. I.. dident know how to do anything as well as I

do now. .. Experience is the best teacher, after all. 1874 G. J. WHYTE-MELVILLE Uncle

John I. x. Experience does not make fools wise. .. Most proverbs are fallacious. None

greater than that which says it does. 1962 Infantry Nov.-Dec. 26 Experience is a hard

teacher, and we cannot afford to learn on the battlefield what should be taught during

normal training. 2002 Washington Post 11 Jan. C10 Whoever said ‘experience is the best

teacher’ got it right—as you can certainly testify. experience

EXPERIENCE is the father of wisdom

Cf. ALCMAN Fragments cxxv. (Page) experience is the beginning
of knowledge.

1539 R. TAVERNER Garden of Wisdom II. 24V This be commonly true, for

experience is mother of prudence, yet suche prudence & wysedom cost the comon weale

moch. a 1547 E. HALL Chronicle (1548) Rich. III 31 He by the longe and often alternate