The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (409 page)

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OFFENDERS never pardon
1640
Outlandish Proverbs
no. 561
The offender never pardons.
1672
Conquest of Granada
II
.
I
. ii.
Forgiveness to the Injur'd does belong; But they ne'r pardon who have done the wrong.
1876
Manchester Man
III. xiii.
He was of Mrs. Ashton's mind, that, ‘as offenders never pardon’, Augusta needed a friend.
forgiveness
;
wrong-doers
OLD habits die hard
1758
in
London Chronicle
26–28 Dec. 632
I hear the reader say, Habits are hard to break, and those .. accustomed to idleness or extravagance do not easily change their manners.
1792
Foresters
ix.
Old habits are not easily broken, and .. they endeavoured .. to transfer the blame from him to his wife.
1944
Rim of Pit
XV.
‘Miss Daventry .. started to run. Naturally I ran after her.’ Rogan smiled. ‘Old habits die hard.’
1991
New Scientist
1 June 57
Old habits die hard. A business executive .. tried to fax some documents to an office in Barcelona .. and always failed to get through… When the staff went for lunch they closed the office for several hours. And turned off the fax machine.
1995
Washington Times
31 Mar. E16
Old habits die hard. Police officers who were trained to pump the brakes have been crashing a lot of police cars equipped with anti-lock brakes.
habit
You cannot put an OLD head on young shoulders
1591
Preparative to Marriage
14
It is not good grafting of an olde head vppon young shoulders, for they will neuer beare it willingly but grudgingly.
1794
Journal
31 Dec. (1889) 256
Tis not the way I could wish my children to conclude the year—in parties—but we can't put old heads on young shoulders.
1951
Sport
30 Mar.–5 Apr. 11
I no longer believe in the old proverb that you cannot put an old head on young shoulders.
1975
Package included Murder
xvi.
The Hon. Con generously forgave her. Well, you can't expect old heads on young shoulders, can you?
wisdom
;
youth

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