The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (148 page)
Read The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs Online
Authors: John Andrew Simpson,
BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
12.38Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
You are what you EAT
Ger.
Mann ist was Mann isst
, man is what man eats. The saying is sometimes attributed to the French gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who wrote in his
Physiologie du Goût
(1825):
Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es
Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.
1930
Subtle Trail
ii. 55
There flashed through her mind the German saying,‘One is what one eats.’
1940
(title)
You are what you eat.
1980
Consuming Passions
3
Food faddists in recent decades have declared, ‘You are what you eat.’
1997
New Scientist
6 Sept. 39
‘Isotopically speaking, you are what you eat’… Any carnivore that eats a lot of salmon will raise the proportion of heavy nitrogen and carbon in its body.
food and drink
Mann ist was Mann isst
, man is what man eats. The saying is sometimes attributed to the French gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who wrote in his
Physiologie du Goût
(1825):
Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es
Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.
1930Subtle Trail
ii. 55
There flashed through her mind the German saying,‘One is what one eats.’
1940
(title)
You are what you eat.
1980
Consuming Passions
3
Food faddists in recent decades have declared, ‘You are what you eat.’
1997
New Scientist
6 Sept. 39
‘Isotopically speaking, you are what you eat’… Any carnivore that eats a lot of salmon will raise the proportion of heavy nitrogen and carbon in its body.
food and drink
We must EAT a peck of dirt before we die
A consolatory expression, frequently used in literal contexts. A
peck
is a dry measure of two gallon. Cf.
1603
H. CHETTLE et al.
Patient Grisel
A3
V
I thinke I shall not eate a pecke of salt: I shall not liue long sure.
1738
Polite Conversation
I. 48
‘Why then, here's some Dirt in my Tea-cup.’.. ‘Poh! you must eat a Peck of Dirt before you die.’
1819
Letter
19 Mar. (1952) 314
This is the second black eye I have had since leaving school .. we must eat a peck before we die.
1939
Lark Rise
vi.
The children .. were told: ‘Us've all got to eat a peck o' dust before we dies, an' it'll slip down easy in this good yarb [herb] beer.’
1979
Twelve Deaths of Christmas
xxix.
She tried to rinse off the ice cubes. ‘Never mind … They say, we all have to eat a peck of dirt before we die!’
health
;
mortality
peck
is a dry measure of two gallon. Cf.
1603
H. CHETTLE et al.
Patient Grisel
A3
V
I thinke I shall not eate a pecke of salt: I shall not liue long sure.
1738Polite Conversation
I. 48
‘Why then, here's some Dirt in my Tea-cup.’.. ‘Poh! you must eat a Peck of Dirt before you die.’
1819
Letter
19 Mar. (1952) 314
This is the second black eye I have had since leaving school .. we must eat a peck before we die.
1939
Lark Rise
vi.
The children .. were told: ‘Us've all got to eat a peck o' dust before we dies, an' it'll slip down easy in this good yarb [herb] beer.’
1979
Twelve Deaths of Christmas
xxix.
She tried to rinse off the ice cubes. ‘Never mind … They say, we all have to eat a peck of dirt before we die!’
health;
mortality
He that would EAT the fruit must climb the tree
Cf.
1577
J. GRANGE
Golden Aphroditis
M1 Who will the fruyte that haruest yeeldes, must take the payne.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
141
He that would eat the Fruit must climb the Tree.
1843
‘’
New Purchase
I. xxiv.
It is a proverb, ‘He that would eat the fruit must first climb the tree and get it’: but when that fruit is honey, he that wants it must first cut it down.
1970
Great Affair
xiv.
‘Son, are you one of those who like to eat the fruit and then walk away from the tree?’ ‘I want to marry her.’
wanting and having
1577
J. GRANGE
Golden Aphroditis
M1 Who will the fruyte that haruest yeeldes, must take the payne.
1721Scottish Proverbs
141
He that would eat the Fruit must climb the Tree.
1843
‘’
New Purchase
I. xxiv.
It is a proverb, ‘He that would eat the fruit must first climb the tree and get it’: but when that fruit is honey, he that wants it must first cut it down.
1970
Great Affair
xiv.
‘Son, are you one of those who like to eat the fruit and then walk away from the tree?’ ‘I want to marry her.’
wanting and havingOther books
More Than Words: Kissed By A Muse #3 by Munt, S.K
Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins
Tomorrow's Kingdom by Maureen Fergus
The Mary Russell Companion by Laurie R. King
Cold Poison by Stuart Palmer
Catilina's Riddle by Steven Saylor
Corrective Treatment by Loki Renard
Eddie Signwriter by Adam Schwartzman
Girl, Stolen by April Henry
Going Dark (Nightfallen #1) by S.G. Schvercraft