The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (224 page)
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GOD sends meat, but the Devil sends cooks
1542Dietary of Health
xi.
It is a common prouerbe, God may sende a man good meate, but the deuyll may sende an euyll coke to dystrue it.
c
1607
Thomas of Reading
B3
God sends meat, and the diuel sends cookes.
1738
Polite Conversation
II. 155
This Goose is quite raw: Well, God sends Meat, but the Devil sends Cooks.
1822
Nigel
III. iii.
That homely proverb that men taunt my calling with,—‘God sends good meat, but the devil sends cooks.’
1922
Ulysses
169
Milly served me that cutlet with a sprig of parsley … God made food, the devil the cooks.
1979
Country Life
13 Sept. 807
Another old saying .. that God sends good meat but the devil sends the cooks.
food and drink
GOD's in his heaven; all's right with the world
The standard form is an expression of satisfaction (see quot. 1841), which has now largely replaced the consolatory
God is where he was
.
1530
L'éclaircissement de la Langue Française
213
Neuer dispayre man, god is there as he was.
1612
tr.
Cervantes' Don Quixote
I. IV. iii.
God is in heaven.
1678
English Proverbs
(ed. 2) 147
God is where he was. Spoken to encourage People in any distress.
1841
Works
(1970) 327
The snail's on the thorn: God's in his heaven—All's right with the world.
1906
Puck of Pook's Hill
240
Cheer up, lad … God's where He was.
1928
Decline & Fall
I. V.
When you've been in the soup as often as I have, it gives you a sort of feeling that everything's for the best, really. You know, God's in His heaven; all's right with the world.
1983
Handyman
xv.
When she heard his car draw up, on the dot of seven, it was as though she had been injected with a great feeling of calm, a reassurance that God was in his heaven and all [was] right with her world.
content and discontent
God is where he was
.
1530L'éclaircissement de la Langue Française
213
Neuer dispayre man, god is there as he was.
1612
tr.
Cervantes' Don Quixote
I. IV. iii.
God is in heaven.
1678
English Proverbs
(ed. 2) 147
God is where he was. Spoken to encourage People in any distress.
1841
Works
(1970) 327
The snail's on the thorn: God's in his heaven—All's right with the world.
1906
Puck of Pook's Hill
240
Cheer up, lad … God's where He was.
1928
Decline & Fall
I. V.
When you've been in the soup as often as I have, it gives you a sort of feeling that everything's for the best, really. You know, God's in His heaven; all's right with the world.
1983
Handyman
xv.
When she heard his car draw up, on the dot of seven, it was as though she had been injected with a great feeling of calm, a reassurance that God was in his heaven and all [was] right with her world.
content and discontentGOD tempers the wind to the shorn lamb
God so arranges it that bad luck does not unduly plague the weak or unfortunate. The phrase
to temper the wind (to the shorn lamb)
is also common. Cf.
1594
H. ESTIENNE
Premices 47 ces termes, Dieu mesure le froid à la brebis tondue, sont les propres termes du prouerbe
, these terms, God measures the cold to the shorn sheepe, are the correct terms of the proverb.
1640
Outlandish Proverbs
no. 867
To a close shorne sheep, God gives wind by measure.
1768
Sentimental Journey
II. 175
How she had borne it .. she could not tell—but God tempers the wind, said Maria, to the shorn lamb.
1933
Testament of Youth
I. ii.
There is an unduly optimistic proverb which declares that God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. My subsequent history was hardly to justify such naive faith in the Deity.
1981
Times
2 May 4
The wind is tempered to the shorn lamb. Officials .. get full basic salary for the first three months of their ‘retirement.’
1996
American Spectator
Mar. 56
But as Laurence Sterne was wont to remind us, the Lord tempers the wind for the shorn lamb. There were bars.
providence
;
trouble
to temper the wind (to the shorn lamb)
is also common. Cf.
1594
H. ESTIENNE
Premices 47 ces termes, Dieu mesure le froid à la brebis tondue, sont les propres termes du prouerbe
, these terms, God measures the cold to the shorn sheepe, are the correct terms of the proverb.
1640Outlandish Proverbs
no. 867
To a close shorne sheep, God gives wind by measure.
1768
Sentimental Journey
II. 175
How she had borne it .. she could not tell—but God tempers the wind, said Maria, to the shorn lamb.
1933
Testament of Youth
I. ii.
There is an unduly optimistic proverb which declares that God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. My subsequent history was hardly to justify such naive faith in the Deity.
1981
Times
2 May 4
The wind is tempered to the shorn lamb. Officials .. get full basic salary for the first three months of their ‘retirement.’
1996
American Spectator
Mar. 56
But as Laurence Sterne was wont to remind us, the Lord tempers the wind for the shorn lamb. There were bars.
providence;
trouble
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