Rodgers Dictionary of Proverbs
"Age before beauty," said the devil as he
threw his grandmother off the stairs.
"All freight lightens," said the skipper, when
he threw his wife overboard.
"Almost a hit," said the boy as he threw the
stone at his dog and hit his stepmother's
leg.
"Almost" and "about" prevent lying.
"An egg is an egg," said the beadle, but he
took the goose-egg.
"Away with you, be a peddlar, a knave,"
says the hangman to his man.
"Bad company," said the thief, as he went to
the gallows between the hangman and a
monk.
"But" is a fence over which few leap.
"Come see me" and "come live with me" are
two different things.
"Don't carry coal to Newcastle"
"Don't cross the stream to get water."
"Everybody is the smith of his own
happiness"
"Fie upon thee, how black thou art!" said the
kettle to the saucepan.
"For example" is not proof.
"Force me, and I shall commit no sin," said
the girl.
"Give me a push from my back" does not
mean give me a hunchback.
"Great cry and little wool," said the fool,
when he sheared a pig.
"Had I known" is a poor man.
"I am a judge of cresses," said the peasant, as
he was eating hemlock.
"I have a lot to say," said the fish, "but my
mouth is full of water."
"I have had" is a poor man.
"I have" is a better bird than "If I had."
"I heard" is good; "I saw" is better.
"I will not bite any dog," says the shepherd's
dog, "for I must save my teeth for the
wolf."
"I won't tie up the mule in a horse's place,"
says the widow.
"If ‘almost’ did not exist," said the woman,
"then I would have shot a hare."
"If' and "when" were planted, and "nothing"
772
grew.
"If I rest, I rust," says the key.
"If it is not a boy it will be a girl," says the
fortune-teller.
"If the devil is going to take me," said the
courtesan, "let it be in a coach."
"If you have no money, turn placeman!" as
the court fool said to his sovereign.
"I'll go myself," and "I'll see to it," are two
good servants on a farm.
"It is easy to work with a good comb," said
the devil, when he combed his mother's
hair with a pitchfork."
"It is not for my own sake," said the fox,
"that I say there is a good goose-green in
the wood."
"It is nothing -- they are only thrashing my
husband."
"It will come back," said the man, when he
gave his sow pork.
"Ladies have ladies' whims." said crazy Ann,
when she draggled her cloak in the
gutter.
"Like will to like," as the devil said to the
coal-burner.
"Long ago" did not live long ago.
"Love one another" said Christ, but he didn't
mention anything about preferences.
"Must" is a bitter herb.
"Now the marriage begins," says the woman
who has been beaten with thorns.
"O what we must suffer for the sake of
God's church!" said the abbot, when the
roast fowl burned his fingers.
"Own kin are the worst friends," said the
fox, when he saw the foxy dogs after
him.
"Peter, I am taking a ride," said the goose,
when the fox was running into the wood
with her.
"Red is Love's colour," said the wooer to his
foxy charmer.
"Rejoice not at thine enemy's fall"--but don't
rush to pick his up, either.
"Success to you! God speed the craft!" as the
hangman said to the judge.