The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (18 page)

life is short, but art is long) compared the difficulties encountered in learning the art of medicine or healing with the shortness of human life. Hippocrates' saying was alluded to by Seneca in his dialogue ‘On the Brevity of Life’ (
De brevitate vitae I: vitam brevem esse, longam artem
) and from this version the usual Latin form of the tag is derived:
ars longa
,
vita brevis
, art is long, life is short.
Art
is now commonly understood in the proverb in a less specific sense. In quot. 1958, it refers to (the durability of) a work of art.
c
1380
Parliament of Fowls
l. 1
The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.
1558
Government of Health
5
^V
And although oure life be shorte, yet the arte of phisicke is long.
1581
tr.
S. Guazzo's Civil Conversation
I. 16
An art is long and life is short.
1710
Proverbs
380
Art is Long, Life Short. Our Philosophical Meditations on Time are very Obscure and Confus'd.
1869
Culture & Anarchy
vi.
If .. we take some other criterion of man's well-being than the cities he has built our .. Liberal friends .. take us up very sharply. ‘Art is long’, says the
Times
, ‘and life is short.’
1958
Balthazar
IV. xiii.
The shapely hand on his shoulder still wore the great ring taken from the tomb of a Byzantine youth. Life is short, art long.
1987
‘’
Dead Liberty
viii.
‘The art is long,’ Sloan heard himself saying aloud … ‘And life is short. I know that.’ Dr. Bressingham completed the quotation brusquely.
life
;
mortality

 
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see
when the OAK is before the ash, then you will only get a splash
;
beware of an OAK it draws the stroke
.

 
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With allusion to
PROVERBS
xxvi. 5 (AV) Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
c
1300
South-English Legendary
(EETS) 494
Ffor-sothe thou axest as a fol, and swich ansuere me schul the yive.
1484
Aesop
(1967) V. xiii. 158
And thus they wente withoute ony sentence For to a folysshe demaunde behoueth a folysshe ansuere.
1551
tr.
T More's Utopia
I E4
For Salomon the wise sayeth: Answer a foole according to his folishnes, like as I do now.
1584
Campaspe
II. 325
‘Which was first, the day or the night?’.. ‘The day, by a day.’.. ‘Indeede straunge questions must have straung answeres.’
c
1600
Tarlton's Jests
(1638) E2
^V
The fellow seeing a foolish question had a foolish answere, laid his legges on his neck, and got him gone.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
35
A thraward [perverse] Question should a thraward Answer.
1929
Inclinations
in
Works
II. 138
‘Has anyone cast a doubt on your union, Mab, being legal?’.. ‘Don't ask silly questions, Daisy, if you don't want foolish answers,’ the Countess returned.
1934
Murder on Cliff
vi.
If you ask me damned silly questions, I'm going to give you damned silly answers.
1969
‘’
Missing from her Home
v.
No, don't bother to answer that. Ask a silly question and you get a silly answer.
1985
Harnessing Peacocks
(1990) v. 46
‘Are you happy at school?’ Ask a silly question. ‘It's all right.’ ‘What sort of answer is that?’ she cried in distress.
action and consequence
;
stupidity

 
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