buys flesh buys many bones; He that buys eggs buys many shells, But he that buys good
ale buys nothing else. 1721 J. KELLY Scottish Proverbs 172 He that buys Land, buys
Stones; He that buys Beef, buys Bones; He that buys Nuts, buys shells; He that buys good
Ale, buys nought else. 1970 Countryman Autumn 172 Welsh butcher to customer
complaining of bony meat: ‘Well, missus, you buy land, you buy stones; buy meat, you
buy bones.’ buying and selling; propertybuy see also why buy a COW when milk is so cheap?; MONEY can’t buy happiness; one
WHITE foot, buy him.
Let the BUYER bewareA warning that the buyer must satisfy himself of the nature and value of a purchase before
proceeding with the transaction. The Latin tag caveat emptor is also frequently found: caveat
emptor, quia ignorare non debuit quod jus alienum emit, let the purchaser beware, for he ought
not to be ignorant of the nature of the property which he is buying from another party. See also
the next proverb.
1523 J. FITZHERBERT Husbandry 36 And [if] he [a horse] be tame and haue ben
rydden vpon than caveat emptor be ware thou byer. 1592 NASHE Pierce Penniless I. 155
Sed caueat emptor, Let the interpreter beware. 1607 E. SHARPHAM Fleire II. C4 They
are no prouerb breakers: beware the buyer say they. 1927 Times 29 Sept. 10 We dislike
very much, whether it is put in Latin or in English, the phrase ‘Let the buyer beware!’
1974 D. FRANCIS Knock Down xi. ’Caveat emptor,’ I said. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Buyer beware.’ ‘I know one buyer who’ll beware for the rest of his life.’ 2001
Washington Times 24 Sept. All It’s caveat emptor as charities and others appeal for relief
donations in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Only this time ‘let the buyer
beware’ should probably read ‘let the donor beware.’ buying and selling; cautionThe BUYER has need of a hundred eyes, the seller of but oneCf. It. chi compra ha bisogna di cent’ occhi; chi vende n’ha assai di uno, he who buys
needs a hundred eyes; he who sells but one.
1640 G. HERBERT Outlandish Proverbs no. 390 The buyer needes a hundred eyes,
the seller not one. 1745 B. FRANKLIN Poor Richard’s Almanack (July) He who buys had
need have 100 Eyes, but one’s enough for him that sells the Stuff. 1800 M.
EDGEWORTH Parent’s Assistant (ed. 3) III. 86 He taught him.. to get.. from customers
by taking advantage of their ignorance. .. He often repeated.. ‘The buyer has need of a