The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (172 page)
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What can you EXPECT from a pig but a grunt?
Used rhetorically with reference to coarse or boorish behaviour.
1731
Poor Robin's Almanack
C6
If we petition a Hog, what can we expect but a grunt.
1827
Journal
10 Apr. (1941) 41
They refuse a draught of £20, because, in mistake, it was £8 overdrawn. But what can be expected of a
sow
but a
grumph
?
1910
English as We speak it in Ireland
x.
Of a coarse, ill-mannered man, who uses unmannerly language: ‘What could you expect from a pig but a grunt.’
1921
Special Pleading
7
What can one expect from a pig but the grunt! What could the likes of you know about fairies anyway?
1997
Spectator
22 Nov. 37/2
References in Mr Cole's letter to the ‘bottle’ were, to say the least, distasteful. But then, as they say, ‘What can you expect from a pig but a grunt?’
conduct
;
human nature
1731Poor Robin's Almanack
C6
If we petition a Hog, what can we expect but a grunt.
1827
Journal
10 Apr. (1941) 41
They refuse a draught of £20, because, in mistake, it was £8 overdrawn. But what can be expected of a
sow
but a
grumph
?
1910
English as We speak it in Ireland
x.
Of a coarse, ill-mannered man, who uses unmannerly language: ‘What could you expect from a pig but a grunt.’
1921
Special Pleading
7
What can one expect from a pig but the grunt! What could the likes of you know about fairies anyway?
1997
Spectator
22 Nov. 37/2
References in Mr Cole's letter to the ‘bottle’ were, to say the least, distasteful. But then, as they say, ‘What can you expect from a pig but a grunt?’
conduct;
human nature
expect
EXPERIENCE is the best teacher
The Latin tag
experientia docet
, experience teaches, gave rise to a large number of proverbs. There is no standard form, and the sayings given below illustrate the themes that ‘one learns (also, fools learn) by experience’ and that ‘experience is a hard teacher’. See also
EXPERIENCE
keeps a dear school
.
a
1568
Schoolmaster
(1570) I. 19
Erasmus .. saide wiselie that experience is the common scholehouse of foles.
1618
Court & Country
B4
Let ignorance be an enemy to wit, and experience be the Mistris of fools.
1670
English Proverbs
86
Experience is the mistress of fools.
Experientia stultorum magistra
. Wise men learn by others harms, fools by their own.
1732
Gnomologia
no. 1484
Experience teacheth Fools; and he is a great one, that will not learn by it.
1782
M'Fingal
IV. 97
Alas, great Malcolm cried, experience Might teach you not to trust appearance.
1803
Letter
12 Nov. (1929) 278
Experience, the best of teachers.
1814
Proverbs
I. 280
‘Experience’, we say, ‘makes even fools wise.’
1856
Widow Bedott Papers
xxix.
I .. dident know how to do anything as well as I do now …Experience is the best teacher, after all.
1874
Uncle John
I. x.
Experience does not make fools wise …Most proverbs are fallacious. None greater than that which says it does.
1962
Infantry
Nov.–Dec. 26
Experience is a hard teacher, and we cannot afford to learn on the battlefield what should be taught during normal training.
1978
Burglar in Closet
i.
Experience is as effective a teacher as she is because one does tend to remember her lessons.
experience
experientia docet
, experience teaches, gave rise to a large number of proverbs. There is no standard form, and the sayings given below illustrate the themes that ‘one learns (also, fools learn) by experience’ and that ‘experience is a hard teacher’. See also
EXPERIENCE
keeps a dear school
.
a1568
Schoolmaster
(1570) I. 19
Erasmus .. saide wiselie that experience is the common scholehouse of foles.
1618
Court & Country
B4
Let ignorance be an enemy to wit, and experience be the Mistris of fools.
1670
English Proverbs
86
Experience is the mistress of fools.
Experientia stultorum magistra
. Wise men learn by others harms, fools by their own.
1732
Gnomologia
no. 1484
Experience teacheth Fools; and he is a great one, that will not learn by it.
1782
M'Fingal
IV. 97
Alas, great Malcolm cried, experience Might teach you not to trust appearance.
1803
Letter
12 Nov. (1929) 278
Experience, the best of teachers.
1814
Proverbs
I. 280
‘Experience’, we say, ‘makes even fools wise.’
1856
Widow Bedott Papers
xxix.
I .. dident know how to do anything as well as I do now …Experience is the best teacher, after all.
1874
Uncle John
I. x.
Experience does not make fools wise …Most proverbs are fallacious. None greater than that which says it does.
1962
Infantry
Nov.–Dec. 26
Experience is a hard teacher, and we cannot afford to learn on the battlefield what should be taught during normal training.
1978
Burglar in Closet
i.
Experience is as effective a teacher as she is because one does tend to remember her lessons.
experienceEXPERIENCE is the father of wisdom
Cf. ALCMAN
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