A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Darling, than a young Man’s Wonderling, say the Scots, Warling, say the English. 1859 J.

R. PLANCHÉ Love & Fortune 8 Let defeated rivals snarling, Talk of one foot in the

grave. Better be an old man’s darling, Than become a young man’s slave. 1980 J.

MARCUS Marsh Blood ix. Find yourself an older man. Much better to be an old man’s

darling, than a young man’s slave. 1992 ‘C. AIRD’ ‘Man Who Rowed for Shore’ in Injury

Time (1995) 14 [S]he had been brought up by her mother on the well-attested aphorism

that it was better to be an old man’s darling than a young’s [sic] man’s slave .. love;

wives and husbands

BETTER be envied than pitied

Cf. PINDAR Pythian Odes I. 163 envy is stronger than pity;
HERODOTUS Hist. iii. 52 , it is better to be envied than
to be pitied; mid 15th-cent. Fr. trop plus vaut estre envié que plaint, it is much better to be
envied than pitied; ERASMUS Adages IV. iv. 87 praestat invidiosum esse quam miserabilem.

1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs i. xi. D2V Sonne, better be envied then

pitied, folke sey. a 1631 DONNE Poems (1633) 94 Men say, and truly, that they better be

Which be envyed then pittied. 1902 G. W. E. RUSSELL Onlooker’s Note-Book xxxiii.

Her friend responded sympathetically, ‘My dear, I’d much rather be envied than pitied.’

malice; pity

BETTER be out of the world than out of the fashion

1639 J. CLARKE Parœmiologia Anglo-Latina 171 As good out of th’ world as out o’

th’ fashion. 1738 SWIFT Polite Conversation ii. 117 ‘Why, Tom, you are high in the

Mode.’ .. ‘It is better to be out of the World, than out of the Fashion.’ 1903 E. F.

MAITLAND From Window in Chelsea IV. Women seem seldom hindered by lack of

money when it is a case of follow-my-leader. ‘Better be out of the world than out of the

fashion.’ 1935 J. MAXTON If I were Dictator i. Dictatorships are fashionable just now.

There was an old-time song which said ‘If you are out of the fashion you had better leave

the world.’ novelty

BETTER be safe than sorry

Now very often in the form better safe than sorry.

1837 S. LOVER Rory O’More II. xxi. ‘Jist countin’ them,—is there any harm in