The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (244 page)
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The GREATER the truth, the greater the libel
The ‘old Mansfield’ referred to in quots. 1787 and 1882 was William Murray, first Earl of Mansfield (1705–93), statesman and judge.
c
1787
Poems
(1968) I. 349
Dost not know that old Mansfield, who writes like the Bible, Says the more 'tis a truth, sir, the more 'tis a libel?
1828
Pelham
I. xxiv.
‘You won't catch an old lawyer in such impudence.’ ‘The greater the truth the greater the libel,’ said Warburton, with a sneer.
1882
Short Sayings of Great Men
371
The greater the truth, the greater the libel. A maxim of the law in vogue .. while Mansfield presided over the King's Bench … The maxim is said to have originated in the Star Chamber.
1950
Frequent Hearses
III. iii.
But this is absurd! An action would lie … The greater the truth, the greater the libel.
1981
Times
9 Apr. 14
Proof of the truth of the words complained of is an absolute defence to a libel action. The adage ‘The greater the truth the greater the libel’ is a myth.
slander
;
truth
c1787
Poems
(1968) I. 349
Dost not know that old Mansfield, who writes like the Bible, Says the more 'tis a truth, sir, the more 'tis a libel?
1828
Pelham
I. xxiv.
‘You won't catch an old lawyer in such impudence.’ ‘The greater the truth the greater the libel,’ said Warburton, with a sneer.
1882
Short Sayings of Great Men
371
The greater the truth, the greater the libel. A maxim of the law in vogue .. while Mansfield presided over the King's Bench … The maxim is said to have originated in the Star Chamber.
1950
Frequent Hearses
III. iii.
But this is absurd! An action would lie … The greater the truth, the greater the libel.
1981
Times
9 Apr. 14
Proof of the truth of the words complained of is an absolute defence to a libel action. The adage ‘The greater the truth the greater the libel’ is a myth.
slander;
truth
When GREEK meets Greek, then comes the tug of war
1677Rival Queens
IV. 48
When Greeks joyn'd Greeks, then was the tug of War.
1804
Journals & Notebooks
(1969) I. 69
Two upright Postillions .. were disputing who was the greatest rogue … ‘When Greek meets Greek then comes the tug of war.’
1926
Two or Three Graces
175
When Greek meets Greek then comes, in this case, an exchange of anecdotes about the deposed sovereigns of eastern Europe—in a word, the tug of bores.
1979
Rabelais
iii.
One is reminded of an adage Erasmus used ..
Magus cum mago
: ‘magician meets magician’—Greek, as we say, meets Greek.
enemies;
similarity and dissimilarity
A GREEN Yule makes a fat churchyard
A proverb with many variations on the theme of the unhealthiness of a mild winter.
1635
Speculum Mundi
V.
They also say, that a hot Christmas makes a fat Church-yard.
1670
English Proverbs
42
A green winter makes a fat Church-yard. This Proverb was sufficiently confuted
Anno
1667, in which the winter was very mild; and yet no mortality .. ensued the Summer or Autumn following.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
30
A green yule makes a fat Church-yard. This, and a great many proverbial Observations, upon the Seasons of the Year, are groundless.
1858
Amos Barton
in
Scenes of Clerical Life
I. vi.
I shouldn't wonder if it takes the old lady off. They say a green Yule makes a fat Churchyard; but so does a white Yule too.
1927
Witch Wood
xvii.
Every wife in the parish .. quoted dolefully the saw that ‘a green Yule makes a fat Kirkyard.’
1945
(
book-title
)
Green December Fills the Graveyard.
1950
Some Tame Gazelle
xviii.
They say a green Christmas means a full churchyard … I dare say some old people will be taken.
1997
Times: Weekend
27 Dec. 16
So a green Christmas maketh a fat churchyard, as we say in SE10.
death
;
weather lore
1635Speculum Mundi
V.
They also say, that a hot Christmas makes a fat Church-yard.
1670
English Proverbs
42
A green winter makes a fat Church-yard. This Proverb was sufficiently confuted
Anno
1667, in which the winter was very mild; and yet no mortality .. ensued the Summer or Autumn following.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
30
A green yule makes a fat Church-yard. This, and a great many proverbial Observations, upon the Seasons of the Year, are groundless.
1858
Amos Barton
in
Scenes of Clerical Life
I. vi.
I shouldn't wonder if it takes the old lady off. They say a green Yule makes a fat Churchyard; but so does a white Yule too.
1927
Witch Wood
xvii.
Every wife in the parish .. quoted dolefully the saw that ‘a green Yule makes a fat Kirkyard.’
1945
(
book-title
)
Green December Fills the Graveyard.
1950
Some Tame Gazelle
xviii.
They say a green Christmas means a full churchyard … I dare say some old people will be taken.
1997
Times: Weekend
27 Dec. 16
So a green Christmas maketh a fat churchyard, as we say in SE10.
death;
weather lore
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