The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (286 page)
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idle
IDLENESS is the root of all evil
The idea is attributed to St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Cf. early 14th-cent. Fr.
oiseuseté atrait viches
, idleness attracts vices;
c
1390
CHAUCER
Second Nun's Prologue
l. 1 The ministre and the norice [nurse] unto vices, which that men clepe [call] in Englissh ydlenesse.
1422
in
Secreta Secretorum
(1898) 158
Idylnysse is the rote of vicis.
1538
Governance of Virtue
B8
V
Idleness .. is the well-spring and root of all vice.
1707
Beaux' Stratagem
I. i.
Idleness is the Root of all Evil; the World's wide enough, let'em bustle.
1850
David Copperfield
x.
‘The boy will be idle there’, said Miss Murdstone, looking into a pickle-jar, ‘and idleness is the root of all evil’.
1874
Phineas Redux
II. xxxvi.
I much prefer downright honest figures. Two and two make four; idleness is the root of all evil .. and the rest of it.
good and evil
;
idleness
oiseuseté atrait viches
, idleness attracts vices;
c
1390
CHAUCER
Second Nun's Prologue
l. 1 The ministre and the norice [nurse] unto vices, which that men clepe [call] in Englissh ydlenesse.
1422in
Secreta Secretorum
(1898) 158
Idylnysse is the rote of vicis.
1538
Governance of Virtue
B8
V
Idleness .. is the well-spring and root of all vice.
1707
Beaux' Stratagem
I. i.
Idleness is the Root of all Evil; the World's wide enough, let'em bustle.
1850
David Copperfield
x.
‘The boy will be idle there’, said Miss Murdstone, looking into a pickle-jar, ‘and idleness is the root of all evil’.
1874
Phineas Redux
II. xxxvi.
I much prefer downright honest figures. Two and two make four; idleness is the root of all evil .. and the rest of it.
good and evil;
idleness
If IFS and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands
Used as a humorous retort to an over-optimistic conditional expression.
ands:
the conjunction
and
‘if’, of which
an
is a weakened form, is employed irregularly here as a noun to denote ‘an expression of condition or doubt’.
1850
Alton Locke
I. x.
‘If a poor man's prayer can bring God's curse down’. ‘If ifs and ans were pots and pans’.
1886
Notes & Queries
7th Ser. I. 71
There is also the old doggerel—If ifs and ands Were pots and pans Where would be the work for Tinkers' hands?
1924
Times
30 May 9
If he might vary an old saw he would say, ‘If “ifs and ands” could create employment, then there would be little use for the Minister of Labour to tinker at it’.
1981
Loss of Culion
xvi.
As my old aunt used to say, ‘If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands’
wanting and having
ands:
the conjunction
and
‘if’, of which
an
is a weakened form, is employed irregularly here as a noun to denote ‘an expression of condition or doubt’.
1850Alton Locke
I. x.
‘If a poor man's prayer can bring God's curse down’. ‘If ifs and ans were pots and pans’.
1886
Notes & Queries
7th Ser. I. 71
There is also the old doggerel—If ifs and ands Were pots and pans Where would be the work for Tinkers' hands?
1924
Times
30 May 9
If he might vary an old saw he would say, ‘If “ifs and ands” could create employment, then there would be little use for the Minister of Labour to tinker at it’.
1981
Loss of Culion
xvi.
As my old aunt used to say, ‘If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be no work for tinkers' hands’
wanting and havingWhere IGNORANCE is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise
Now frequently abbreviated to
ignorance is bliss
.
1742
Poems
(1966) 10
Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.
1865
Facey Romford's Hounds
lxxi.
Of course Facey knew nothing about Lucy, and, upon the principle that where ignorance is bliss 'twere folly to be wise, Soapey was not extra-inquisitive about her.
1900
Mr. Thomas Atkins
xxiv.
Never did soldiers set out for a war in better spirits than did ours .. against the Boers. They .. afforded a pathetic illustration of the proverb: ‘Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise’.
1925
Juno & Paycock
II. 49
‘You ought to be ashamed o'yourself .. not to know the History o' your country’ .. ‘Where ignorance's bliss 'tis folly to be wise’.
1983
Sleepers of Erin
i.
Antique dealers haven't a clue. Pathetic. God knows why, but dealers always want to prove that ignorance really is bliss.
1997
Washington Times
5 Aug. A13
[European] individuals rarely think about taxes. For them, a few minutes every year and it's over. The basic principle, I suppose, is that ignorance is bliss.
ignorance
ignorance is bliss
.
1742Poems
(1966) 10
Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.
1865
Facey Romford's Hounds
lxxi.
Of course Facey knew nothing about Lucy, and, upon the principle that where ignorance is bliss 'twere folly to be wise, Soapey was not extra-inquisitive about her.
1900
Mr. Thomas Atkins
xxiv.
Never did soldiers set out for a war in better spirits than did ours .. against the Boers. They .. afforded a pathetic illustration of the proverb: ‘Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise’.
1925
Juno & Paycock
II. 49
‘You ought to be ashamed o'yourself .. not to know the History o' your country’ .. ‘Where ignorance's bliss 'tis folly to be wise’.
1983
Sleepers of Erin
i.
Antique dealers haven't a clue. Pathetic. God knows why, but dealers always want to prove that ignorance really is bliss.
1997
Washington Times
5 Aug. A13
[European] individuals rarely think about taxes. For them, a few minutes every year and it's over. The basic principle, I suppose, is that ignorance is bliss.
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