The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (131 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
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DO as I say, not as I do
Cf. MATTHEW xxiii. 3 (AV) Do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
a
1100
in
Anglo-Saxons
(1959) 277
Ac theah ic wyrs do thonne ic the lære ne do thu na swa swa ic do, ac do swa ic the lære gyf ic the wel lære [Although I do worse than I teach you, do not do as I do, but do as I teach you if I teach you well].
1546
Dialogue of Proverbs
II. v. H4
V
It is as folke dooe, and not as folke say.
1689
Table-Talk
45
Preachers say, Do as I say, not as I do.
1911
Spectator
24 June 957
It has always been considered allowable to say .. to children, ‘Do as I say, rather than as I do.’
1979
Heberden's Seat
v.
I saw you spooning sugar into coffee … Do as I say, not as I do.
1997
Washington Times
17 July A19
Alas, Stanford and other leading universities seem to parody the quintessentially hypocritical attitude, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’
hypocrisy
;
words and deeds
DO as you would be done by
A neater form of
DO unto others as you would they should do unto you
. The forms are sometimes mixed, e.g. quot. 1991.
c
1596
et al.
Sir Thomas More
9
A [he] saies trewe: letts do as we may be doon by.
1747
Letter
16 Oct. (1932) III. 1035
‘Do as you would be done by,’ is the surest method that I know of pleasing.
1863
Water Babies
V.
I shall grow as handsome as my sister .. the loveliest fairy in the world;.. her name is Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby.
1928
Mystery at Lynden Sands
viii.
‘Do unto others as you'd be done by’ is my motto.
1965
Tin Men i
.
‘Always treat a man as you would wish to be treated yourself …’ ‘Do as you would be done by.’ ‘It's good human relations …’ Mr. Vulgurian paused and stroked his hair, doing to it as he would be done by.
1991
Redundancy of Courage
xxix. 394
‘Do unto others as you would be done by’ was a more positive social prescription of societies like Toronto.
reciprocity
;
society

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