The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (350 page)

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MANNERS maketh man
William of Wykeham (1324–1404), bishop of Winchester and chancellor of England, was the founder of Winchester College and New College, Oxford (see also quot.
a
1661).
c
1350
Douce MS
52 no. 77
Maner makys man.
c
1450
in
Archiv
(1931) CLIX. 88
Maners and clothying makes man.
1509
Ship of Fools
118
An old prouerbe .. Sayth that good lyfe and maners makyth man.
a
1661
Worthies
(Hants) 3
Manners makes a man, Quoth William Wickham. This generally was his Motto, inscribed frequently on the places of his Founding.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
246
Meat feeds, Cloth cleeds, but Manners makes the Man … Good Meat, and fine Cloaths, without good Breeding, are but poor Recommendations.
1824
Don Juan
xv. xviii.
The difference is, that in days of old Men made the manners; manners now make men.
1966
Time of Angels
xii.
A single lamp revealed .. the very large glass-fronted bookcase superscribed
Manners Makyth Man
.
1983
Case of Missing Bronte
vi.
Gracious little twit. The idea that manners makyth man clearly went out of the educational system before he went into it.
manners
MANY a little makes a mickle
The proper version of the next proverb.
Pickle
, a Scottish word for ‘a small quantity or amount’, is also found instead of
little
.
Mickle
(‘a great quantity or amount’) is now only Scottish.
a
1250
Ancrene Wisse
(1962) 32
Thys ofte as me seith, of lutel muchel waxeth.
c
1390
Parson's Tale
l. 361
The proverbe seith that ‘manye smale maken a greet’.
1545
tr.
Erasmus' Adages
(ed. 2) G5
We commonly say in englyshe: Many a lyttle maketh a great.
1614
Remains concerning Britain
(ed. 2) 310
Many a little makes a mickle.
1822
in
Life
(1884) I.xii.
‘Many a little makes a mickle.’ It will be a long .. and weary job, but I must plod along.
1905
Westminster Gazette
29 Apr. 3
‘There is the Tithe Relief… But that is a small item.’ ‘Yes, but many a pickle maks a muckle’.
1979
Maria Edgeworth in France & Switzerland
196
Many a pickle (or little) makes a mickle.
great and small

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