The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (426 page)
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Do not throw PEARLS to swine
With allusion to
MATTHEW
vii. 6 (AV) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. Often in the phrase
to cast pearls before swine
.
1340
Ayenbite of Inwit
(EETS) 152
Thet we ne thrauwe naght oure preciouse stones touore the zuyn.
1362
Piers Plowman
A.
XI
.
Noli mittere Margeri
, perles Among hogges.
1526
Pilgrimage of Perfection
II
. iii.
The holy fathers thought it nat expedient to disclose the secrete misteryes to euery worldly person… Cast not your perles before hogges.
1550
Epigrams
A3
V
Before suche swyne no pearles maye be caste.
1694
&
Connecticut Vindicated
7
Cast not your Pearls before Swine.
1816
Letter
in
Memoir
(1855) II. 134
Elgin has done a very useful thing in taking them [the Elgin Marbles] away from the Turks. Do not throw pearls to swine.
1925
Sam the Sudden
xi.
‘Young women do not interest me.’ The proverb about casting pearls before swine occurred to Sam.
1967
Jerusalem the Golden
vi.
They wrote to each other, long, intimate, witty letters, the kind of letters that Clara fancied she had for years been casting before if not swine at least less than perfect readers.
gratitude and ingratitude
;
waste
MATTHEW
vii. 6 (AV) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. Often in the phrase
to cast pearls before swine
.
1340Ayenbite of Inwit
(EETS) 152
Thet we ne thrauwe naght oure preciouse stones touore the zuyn.
1362
Piers Plowman
A.
XI
.
Noli mittere Margeri
, perles Among hogges.
1526
Pilgrimage of Perfection
II
. iii.
The holy fathers thought it nat expedient to disclose the secrete misteryes to euery worldly person… Cast not your perles before hogges.
1550
Epigrams
A3
V
Before suche swyne no pearles maye be caste.
1694
&
Connecticut Vindicated
7
Cast not your Pearls before Swine.
1816
Letter
in
Memoir
(1855) II. 134
Elgin has done a very useful thing in taking them [the Elgin Marbles] away from the Turks. Do not throw pearls to swine.
1925
Sam the Sudden
xi.
‘Young women do not interest me.’ The proverb about casting pearls before swine occurred to Sam.
1967
Jerusalem the Golden
vi.
They wrote to each other, long, intimate, witty letters, the kind of letters that Clara fancied she had for years been casting before if not swine at least less than perfect readers.
gratitude and ingratitude;
waste
A PECK of March dust is worth a king's ransom
The month of March is traditionally wet and blustery. A
peck
was a dry measure of two gallons.
1533
Play of Weather
D1
One bushell of march dust is worth a kynges raunsome.
1685
Discourse of Causes of Insalubrity of Air
55
It is proverbially said in England, that a Peck of March Dust is worth a King's Ransom: So infrequent is dry Weather, during that Month.
1836
Rattlin the Reefer
III. viii.
A spoonful of the soup to-day will be worth a king's ransom—a peck of March dust! pooh!
1936
Clue for Mr. Fortune
36
The flower borders .. were planted with bush roses .. stunted by the rigours of that grim March …‘Bushel of March dust worth a king's ransom,’ Reggie murmured.
1978
Calendar of Country Customs
iii.
[The farmer] values dry, cold weather, such as often occurs in late February and March. ‘A peck of dust in March is worth a king's ransom,’ is still an oft-quoted proverb.
weather lore
peck
was a dry measure of two gallons.
1533Play of Weather
D1
One bushell of march dust is worth a kynges raunsome.
1685
Discourse of Causes of Insalubrity of Air
55
It is proverbially said in England, that a Peck of March Dust is worth a King's Ransom: So infrequent is dry Weather, during that Month.
1836
Rattlin the Reefer
III. viii.
A spoonful of the soup to-day will be worth a king's ransom—a peck of March dust! pooh!
1936
Clue for Mr. Fortune
36
The flower borders .. were planted with bush roses .. stunted by the rigours of that grim March …‘Bushel of March dust worth a king's ransom,’ Reggie murmured.
1978
Calendar of Country Customs
iii.
[The farmer] values dry, cold weather, such as often occurs in late February and March. ‘A peck of dust in March is worth a king's ransom,’ is still an oft-quoted proverb.
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