Cf.
1590
G. MEURIER
Deviz Familiers
A6
peu ayde
,
disçoit le formy
,
pissant en mer en plein midy
, every little helps, said the ant, pissing into the sea at midday.
1602
Letters
(1906) 118
The wrenn sayde all helpte when she—in the sea.
1623
Remains concerning Britain
(ed. 3) 268
Euery thing helpes, quoth the Wren when she pist i' the sea.
1787
in
Collections of Massachusetts Hist. Society
(1877) 5th Ser. II. 477
A guinea is a guinea, and every little helps.
1840
Poor Jack
xiii.
It's a very old saying, that every little helps …Almost all the men were on the larboard side.
1980
Death & Pregnant Virgin
xxii.
‘I'll see if we can't put it off a day or two.’ ‘Every little helps.’
assistance
;
great and small