The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (258 page)
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happy
HARD cases make bad law
Difficult cases cause the clarity of the law to be obscured by exceptions and strained interpretations.
1854
in
Hist. English Law
(1926) IX. 423
A hard case. But hard cases make bad law.
1945
in
Hansard
(Commons) 12 June 1478
Well, of course, hard cases do not make good laws.
1991
Times
17 Sept. 29
Hard cases not only make bad law. They also create bad feeling between judges.
1997
Times
1 Sept. 25
To say that hard cases make bad law is to demean the anger of grief with the sanctity of cliché.
law and lawyers
;
rules, general
1854in
Hist. English Law
(1926) IX. 423
A hard case. But hard cases make bad law.
1945
in
Hansard
(Commons) 12 June 1478
Well, of course, hard cases do not make good laws.
1991
Times
17 Sept. 29
Hard cases not only make bad law. They also create bad feeling between judges.
1997
Times
1 Sept. 25
To say that hard cases make bad law is to demean the anger of grief with the sanctity of cliché.
law and lawyers;
rules, general
HARD words break no bones
A terser statement of the sentiment in
STICKS and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me
. Cf.
c
1450
Towneley Play of Noah
(EETS) 1. 380 Thise grete wordis shall not flay me.
1697
Yorkshire Ale
(ed. 3) 84
Foul words break neay Banes.
1806
Gazette Publications
250
Hard words, and language break nae bane.
1814
Letter
18 Oct. (1889) II. xlix.
These .. are mere words—hard words, if you please, but they break no bones.
1882
Christowell
III. xvi.
‘Scoundrel, after all that I have done—.’ ‘Hard words break no bones, my friend.’
1980
Charity's Child
i.
Soft words! They butter no parsnips … Would you prefer hard ones? .. Hard words break no bones.
malice
STICKS and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me
. Cf.
c
1450
Towneley Play of Noah
(EETS) 1. 380 Thise grete wordis shall not flay me.
1697Yorkshire Ale
(ed. 3) 84
Foul words break neay Banes.
1806
Gazette Publications
250
Hard words, and language break nae bane.
1814
Letter
18 Oct. (1889) II. xlix.
These .. are mere words—hard words, if you please, but they break no bones.
1882
Christowell
III. xvi.
‘Scoundrel, after all that I have done—.’ ‘Hard words break no bones, my friend.’
1980
Charity's Child
i.
Soft words! They butter no parsnips … Would you prefer hard ones? .. Hard words break no bones.
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