MCGIRR Hearse with Horses vi. He blushed. Piron thought that he shouldn’t have sent a
boy to do a man’s job. 1987 Washington Post 21 Jan. D10 Research proves that in more
than 99 percent of these cases, the defender who has overruffed endears himself by
uttering the old cliche, ‘Never send a boy to do a man’s job.’ efficiency and
inefficiency; workTwo BOYS are half a boy, and three boys are no boy at all
The more boys that help, the less work they do.
c 1930 F. THOMPSON Country Calendar 114 Their parents do not encourage the
joining of forces. .. We have a proverb here: ‘Two boys are half a boy, and three boys are
no boy at all.’ 1971 New York Times 31 Jan. IV. 12 Rural New England of the mid-
nineteenth century, not commonly sophisticated in mathematics but witty enough about
man’s condition, used to [say].. ‘One boy helping, a pretty good boy; two boys, half a
boy; three boys, no boy.’ 2002 Times: Weekend 6 Apr. 91.. have been warned by my
neighbours not to let him have any friends round. Because the more boys there are, the
less work will get done. Apparently there is a country proverb that goes: ‘One boy is a
boy. Two boys are half a boy. And three boys are no boys at all.’ assistance; efficiency
and inefficiency; workBOYS will be boys
Occasionally girls will be girls.
1601 A. DENT Plain Man’s Pathway 64 Youth will be youthfull, when you haue
saide all that you can. 1826 T. H. LISTER Granby II. vii. Girls will be girls. They like
admiration. 1848 THACKERAY Vanity Fair xiii. As for the pink bonnets.. why boys will
be boys. 1964 WODEHOUSE Frozen Assets iii. I tried to tell him that boys will be boys
and you’re only young once. 2000 W. NORTHCUTT Darwin Awards iv. 108 Firecrackers
are illegal in Indonesia. However, they can be purchased on the black market during
celebrations such as Eid Al-Fitr.. And boys will be boys, the world over. human naturebrae (slope, hill-side): see put a STOUT heart to a stey brae.
BRAG is a good dog, but Holdfast is better