A DICTIONARY OF

ENGLISH PROVERBS

A DICTIONARY OF

ENGLISH PROVERBS

Thomas Preston



Chennai

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PREFACE Long before writing and books were in common use, proverbs were the principal means of imparting instruction. In modern times there is not so much need to apply these old sayings as a means of educating the people, but they are still constantly met with in the newspapers and in general literature, and they are rightly considered as “The texts of common life.” The late Earl Russell very aptly described a proverb as “The wisdom of many and the wit of one.” We value proverbs chiefly as moral maxims teaching some practical lesson set forth in concise, pithy sentences, which are fixed in the memory without effort, and retained without being burdensome. They have been found useful for guidance in almost every condition of life; but, on the other hand, it is quite true that many dangerous precepts have been propounded in proverbs, and some of the older ones gave such questionable advice, or were couched in such objectionable language, that they have been very properly omitted from every collection intended, as this is, for general use. Other old proverbs have become obsolete, and as their meaning is now obscure, they have not been included in the Dictionary. This series of “Handy Books” would hardly be complete without a collection of English Proverbs. Many books on the subject have been written, but it is hoped that this collection will, in some respects, be found to be an improvement on all its predecessors. Like The Dictionary of Daily Blunders, this Dictionary of English Proverbs has been framed so as to enable the reader to find what he wants without difficulty. The Dictionary itself is arranged ac-

Preface viii

cording to the principal words, and there is also a Copious Index of additional principal words. Other modern collections profess to give an “Alphabetical Index,” but such an index is of little use when we find that it is framed on the rule that because a proverb begins with the article A, it should therefore be indexed under that letter. As, “A bald head is soon shaven.” In another similar Index we find the proverb, “’Tis the second blow makes the fray,” inserted under the letter T. In one index of this kind there are no less than twenty-two pages of  A’s and almost as many of  The’s. Indeed the whole index is compiled without the slightest regard to the subject of the proverbs. On this subject Disraeli, in his essay on the “Philosophy of Proverbs,” says “The arrangement of proverbs has baffled the ingenuity of every one of their collectors. Ray, after long premeditation, has chosen a system with the appearance of an alphabetical order, but it turns out that his system is no system, and his alphabet is no alphabet. After ten years’ labour the good man could only arrange his proverbs by commonplaces.” In this little Dictionary, as we have already stated, the proverbs are arranged in alphabetical order, according to the leading words, and are consecutively numbered. But, in order to avoid repetition (as most of the proverbs contain, at least, two leading words), the subject words are used for the Dictionary, and the other principal words will be found in the Index, with a numerical reference to the proverb. The great advantage of this arrangement is, that if only one important word of a proverb be remembered, that word can be turned to in the Dictionary, and, if not found there, will certainly be in the Index. Nearly two thousand of the leading words are thus indexed—enough to make it almost impossible to miss finding what is wanted. This plan has also the effect of bringing together the proverbs on kindred subjects, which is often a matter of importance to writers, and is, moreover, most amusing to those who only read the book to while away a leisure hour. Ready reference is further facilitated in the Index by the addition of associ-

Preface ix

ated words. If one word only had been given, the reader might have had to refer to eleven proverbs before he found the one he required; as, for example, in the case of  Dog. It may be convenient to state that the Dictionary has been compiled principally from Ray’s collection, first published in 1670. The remainder of the proverbs have been collected from ancient and modern literature; but some few of them will not be found in any other published collection. It only remains to remind the reader that this is a collection of  English Proverbs only; and we may appropriately conclude our Preface with a further extract from Disraeli’s essay, wherein he very justly remarks that “The experience of life will throw a perpetual freshness over these short and simple texts; every day may furnish a new commentary; and we may grow old and still find novelty in proverbs by their perpetual application.”

A Absence  Absence cools mod- Advice   In vain he craves aderate passions, and inflames vi- vice who will not follow it. olent ones. Advice   Advice comes too late Absent  The absent are always when a thing is done. at fault. Afraid of wounds  He that’s Absent   Long absent, soon for- afraid of wounds must not come nigh a battle. gotten. Aching Teeth  Who hath ach- Afraid  More afraid than hurt. ing teeth, hath ill tenants. Age  Age before honesty. Adversity  Adversity makes a Age (old)  Old age is honourman wise, not rich. able. Adversity  Adversity tries Agree  Two of a trade seldom friends. agree. Adversity  Adversity flattereth Agree  Agree, for law is costly. no man. Ague  An ague in the spring, Is Advice   Give neither advice physic for a king. nor salt until you are asked for it. Agues  Agues come on horseAdvice   What every one asks, back, but go away on foot. what every one gives, but what very few take—advice. Air  A man cannot live by the air.

A Dictionary of English Proverbs  2

Alchemy  No alchemy like sav- Angry  He that is angry withing. out a cause must be pleased without amends. Ale  Good ale is meat, drink, and cloth. Another’s Burden  None knows the weight of another’s Ale  He that buys land buys burden. many stones, He that buys flesh buys many bones, He that buys Apples   Apples, eggs, and eggs buys many shells, He that nuts,One may eat after sluts. buys ale buys nothing else. April  April and May are the Ale-House  Every one has a keys of the year. penny to spend at a new aleApril  When April blows his house. horn,It’s both good for hay and All’s Well  All’s well that ends corn. well. April  April borrows three days All Things  No living manAll of March, and they are ill. things can. April Showers  March winds Almost  Almost was never and April showersBring forth hanged. May flowers. Alms  Steal the goose, and give Argus  Argus at home, but a the giblets in alms. mole abroad. Anger  Anger is short-lived in a Ashamed  Never be ashamed good man. to eat your meat. Anger  Keep from the anger of Ashes  Every man must eat a a great man. peck of ashes before he dies. Angry Men  Angry men sel- Ask  Ask but enough, and you dom want woe. may lower as you list.

Thomas Preston  3

Ask  Ask thy purse what thou August  August dry and warm, Harvest doth no harm. shouldst buy. Asking  Lose nothing for ask- August  If the twenty-fourth of August be fair and clear,Then ing. hope for a prosperous autumn Ass  The ass that brays most, that year. eats least. August  A wet August never Ass  Every ass thinks himself brings dearth. worthy to stand with the king’s Author  Like author, like book. horses.

B Bachelors  Bachelors grin, Balance  The balance distinbut married men laugh till their guishes not between gold and hearts ache. lead. Bachelors’ Wives Bachelors’ Bald Head  A bald head is soon wives and maids’ children are al- shaven. ways well taught. Banquet  There’s no great banBad Where bad’s the best, quet but some fare ill. naught must be the choice. Barber’s Chair  Like a barber’s Bad Company   Better be alone chair, fit for every buttock. than in bad company. Barber  One barber shaves not Bad Day  A bad day never hath so close but another finds work. a good night. Barefooted  Barefooted men Bad Market  He that cannot should not tread on thorns. abide a bad market deserves not Bare Foot  Better a bare foot a good one. than no foot at all. Bagpipe  Bring not a bagpipe to Bargain  Make the best of a a man in trouble. bad bargain. Bags  He is most loved that Bargain  A bargain is a bargain. hath most bags. Bail  Be bail and pay for it.

Bargain  At a great bargain make a great pause.

About the Author Thomas Preston (1537–1598) was an English master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and possibly a dramatist. Preston was born at Simpson, Buckinghamshire, in 1537, and was educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, where he was elected scholar, 16 August 1553, and fellow, 18 September 1556. He graduated B.A. in 1557 and M.A. in 1561. When Queen Elizabeth visited Cambridge in August 1564, he attracted the royal favour by his performance of a part in the tragedy of Dido, and by disputing in philosophy with Thomas Cartwright in the royal presence. He also addressed the queen in a Latin oration on her departure, when she invited him to kiss her hand, and gave him a pension of 20l. a year, with the title of "her scholar." He served as proctor in the university in 1565. In 1572 he was directed by the authorities of his college to study civil law, and four years later proceeded to the degree of LL.D. In 1581 he resigned his fellowship. He seems to have joined the College of Advocates. In 1584 he was appointed master of Trinity Hall, and he served as vice-chancellor of the university in 1589–90. Preston died on 1 June 1598, and was buried in the chapel of Trinity Hall. A monumental brass near the altar, placed there by his wife Alice, bears a Latin inscription and a full-length effigy of him in the habit of a Cambridge doctor of laws.

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