The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (405 page)
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NOTHING venture, nothing gain
A variant of the next proverb. Cf. late 14th-cent. Fr.
qui onques rien n'enprist riens n'achieva
, he who never undertook anything never achieved anything;
1481
CAXTON
Reynard
(1880) xii. He that will wynne he muste laboure and auenture.
1624
Captives
IV
. i.
I see hee that nought venters, nothinge gaynes.
1668
Mulberry Garden
III
. ii.
Who ever caught any thing With a naked hook? nothing venture, nothing Win.
1876
Cripps
III. iv.
We must all have been in France .. if—well, never mind. Nothing venture, nothing win.
1967
Naked Ape
iv.
For him [the withdrawn individual] the old saying: ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ has been rewritten: ‘Nothing ventured, nothing lost.’
1979
Tomorrow's Ghost
vii.
That was decidedly interesting—‘And Pearson Cole?’ Nothing venture, nothing gain.
1990
English School of Murder
vi.
‘I'd need a little training before I could take on a proper class.’ ‘Nonsense, old man,’ cried Rich. ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’
1997
Country Life
7 Aug. 62/2
‘I was unsure how people might react, but I thought “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”,’ she says.
boldness
;
wanting and having
;
risk
qui onques rien n'enprist riens n'achieva
, he who never undertook anything never achieved anything;
1481
CAXTON
Reynard
(1880) xii. He that will wynne he muste laboure and auenture.
1624Captives
IV
. i.
I see hee that nought venters, nothinge gaynes.
1668
Mulberry Garden
III
. ii.
Who ever caught any thing With a naked hook? nothing venture, nothing Win.
1876
Cripps
III. iv.
We must all have been in France .. if—well, never mind. Nothing venture, nothing win.
1967
Naked Ape
iv.
For him [the withdrawn individual] the old saying: ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained’ has been rewritten: ‘Nothing ventured, nothing lost.’
1979
Tomorrow's Ghost
vii.
That was decidedly interesting—‘And Pearson Cole?’ Nothing venture, nothing gain.
1990
English School of Murder
vi.
‘I'd need a little training before I could take on a proper class.’ ‘Nonsense, old man,’ cried Rich. ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained.’
1997
Country Life
7 Aug. 62/2
‘I was unsure how people might react, but I thought “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”,’ she says.
boldness;
wanting and having
;
risk
NOTHING venture, nothing have
c1385
Troilus & Criseyde
II
. 807
He which that nothing undertaketh, Nothing n'acheveth, be hym looth or deere [be it hateful or pleasing to him].
1546
Dialogue of Proverbs
I
. xi. E1
Noght venter noght haue.
1559
Bibliotheca
(ed. 3) s.v. Fortis,
Fortune foretherethe [furthers] bolde aduenturers, nothyng venture, nothyng haue.
1791
Life of Johnson
II. 166
I am, however, generally for trying ‘Nothing venture, nothing have.’
1841
Old Curiosity Shop
I. xxix.
I'm sorry the gentleman's daunted—nothing venture, nothing have—but the gentleman knows best.
1937
Death on Nile
II
. xxix.
Nothing venture nothing have! It's about the only time in my life I shall be near to touching a fat lot of money.
boldness;
wanting and having
;
risk
nothing
see also
BELIEVE nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see
;
BLESSED is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed
;
CIVILITY costs nothing
;
there is nothing like LEATHER
;
you don't get SOMETHING for nothing
;
SOMETHING is better than nothing
;
the SUN loses nothing by shining into a puddle
.
BELIEVE nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see
;
BLESSED is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed
;
CIVILITY costs nothing
;
there is nothing like LEATHER
;
you don't get SOMETHING for nothing
;
SOMETHING is better than nothing
;
the SUN loses nothing by shining into a puddle
.
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