The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (201 page)
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FOOLS build houses and wise men live in them
The terser form of this saying—
fools build and wise men buy
—can be applied to property other than houses (see quot. 1997).
1670
English Proverbs
91
Fools build houses, and wise men buy them.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
110
Fools Big [build] Houses and wise Men buy them. I knew a Gentleman buy 2000 l. worth of Land, build a House upon it, and sell both House and Land to pay the Expences of his building.
1875
Proverbial Folk-Lore
43
Fools build houses
,
and wise men live in them
is another proverb on this subject; it is partly true.
1911
Autobiography
xix.
The adage says that fools build houses for other men to live in. Certainly the men who build the big house of Empire for England usually get the attic .. for their own lodgment.
1933
Memories of a Victorian
I. ii.
He gave £3,500 for it in 1872 and spent £8,000 on it, and we sold it in 1909 for £3,100…‘Fools build houses and wise men live in them,’ my mother used to say.
1934
Murder at Eclipse
III. ii. 86
On his retirement, the first baron did not build himself a palace such as he could well have afforded. Perhaps he remembered the old adage that ‘fools build and wise men buy.’
1997
Country Life
14 Aug. 28
Arthur Ransome, self-mocking, said of boating folk: ‘Fools build and wise men buy.’ There is a similar put-down of people who breed their own horses …
fools
;
home
fools build and wise men buy
—can be applied to property other than houses (see quot. 1997).
1670English Proverbs
91
Fools build houses, and wise men buy them.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
110
Fools Big [build] Houses and wise Men buy them. I knew a Gentleman buy 2000 l. worth of Land, build a House upon it, and sell both House and Land to pay the Expences of his building.
1875
Proverbial Folk-Lore
43
Fools build houses
,
and wise men live in them
is another proverb on this subject; it is partly true.
1911
Autobiography
xix.
The adage says that fools build houses for other men to live in. Certainly the men who build the big house of Empire for England usually get the attic .. for their own lodgment.
1933
Memories of a Victorian
I. ii.
He gave £3,500 for it in 1872 and spent £8,000 on it, and we sold it in 1909 for £3,100…‘Fools build houses and wise men live in them,’ my mother used to say.
1934
Murder at Eclipse
III. ii. 86
On his retirement, the first baron did not build himself a palace such as he could well have afforded. Perhaps he remembered the old adage that ‘fools build and wise men buy.’
1997
Country Life
14 Aug. 28
Arthur Ransome, self-mocking, said of boating folk: ‘Fools build and wise men buy.’ There is a similar put-down of people who breed their own horses …
fools;
home
FOOLS for luck
The construction is apparent from quot. 1834.
FORTUNE favours fools
expresses the same idea. Quot. 1981 appears to be a garbled version of this saying. Cf.
1631
JONSON
Bartholomew Fair
II.ii. Bring him a sixe penny bottle of Ale; they say, a fooles handsell [gift] is lucky.
1834
Narrative of Life of David Crockett
xiii.
The old saying—‘A fool for luck, and a poor man for children.’
1854
Life of Country Merchant
xix.
They attribute your good fortune to the old hackneyed adage, ‘A fool for luck.’
1907
Phoenix II
(1968) 6
‘You'll make our fortunes.’ ‘What!’ he exclaimed, ‘by making a fool of myself? They say fools for luck. What fools wise folks must be.’
1927
Mosaic Earring
xviii.
I don't know how you fell on it that you were the spittin' image of this young millionaire, a fool for luck, maybe.
1981
Bikini Red North
xi.
All fools are lucky; isn't that the adage?
fools
;
luck
FORTUNE favours fools
expresses the same idea. Quot. 1981 appears to be a garbled version of this saying. Cf.
1631
JONSON
Bartholomew Fair
II.ii. Bring him a sixe penny bottle of Ale; they say, a fooles handsell [gift] is lucky.
1834Narrative of Life of David Crockett
xiii.
The old saying—‘A fool for luck, and a poor man for children.’
1854
Life of Country Merchant
xix.
They attribute your good fortune to the old hackneyed adage, ‘A fool for luck.’
1907
Phoenix II
(1968) 6
‘You'll make our fortunes.’ ‘What!’ he exclaimed, ‘by making a fool of myself? They say fools for luck. What fools wise folks must be.’
1927
Mosaic Earring
xviii.
I don't know how you fell on it that you were the spittin' image of this young millionaire, a fool for luck, maybe.
1981
Bikini Red North
xi.
All fools are lucky; isn't that the adage?
fools;
luck
FOOLS rush in where angels fear to tread
1711Essay on Criticism
l. 625
No Place so Sacred from such Fops is barr'd, Nor is Paul's Church more safe than Paul's Church-yard: Nay, fly to Altars; there they'll talk you dead; For Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.
1858
Iredell's Life & Correspondence
II. 277
Rash presumption illustrates the line, ‘Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.’
1922
Ulysses
649
Prying into his private affairs on the
fools step in where angels
principle.
1943
Do not Disturb
ii.
The folly of the officious is proverbial: don't rush in where angels fear to tread.
1975
‘’
Slight Mourning
xv.
‘The deceased was of—er—a forceful personality. Not over-sensitive, either, from all accounts.’ ‘Ah, I see. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.’
fools;
ignorance
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