The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (431 page)
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See a PIN and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you'll have all the day
Similarly extolling the virtues of thrift in small matters is
1668
S. PEPYS
Diary
2 Jan. (1976) IX. 7 The King answered to it with great indifferency. Sir W. Coventry answered: 'I see your Majesty doth not remember the old English proverb, ‘He that will not stoop for a pin will never be worth a pound’.
1843
Nursery Rhymes
120
See a pin and let it lay, Bad luck you'll have all the day!
1883
Shropshire Folklore
xxi.
Pins are held .. unlucky .. in the North of England .. but side by side with this we have the thrifty maxim—See a pin and let it lie, You'll want a pin another day; See a pin and pick it up, All the day you'll have good luck.
1935
Tape-Measure Murder in Miss Marple's Final Cases
(1979)
‘There's a pin in your tunic.’ .. He said, ‘They do say, “See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck.”’
1966
Flying Finish
ix.
In the little hall hung more time-worn poker work. ‘See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck. See a pin and let it lie, you will want before you die.’
luck
;
thrift
1668
S. PEPYS
Diary
2 Jan. (1976) IX. 7 The King answered to it with great indifferency. Sir W. Coventry answered: 'I see your Majesty doth not remember the old English proverb, ‘He that will not stoop for a pin will never be worth a pound’.
1843Nursery Rhymes
120
See a pin and let it lay, Bad luck you'll have all the day!
1883
Shropshire Folklore
xxi.
Pins are held .. unlucky .. in the North of England .. but side by side with this we have the thrifty maxim—See a pin and let it lie, You'll want a pin another day; See a pin and pick it up, All the day you'll have good luck.
1935
Tape-Measure Murder in Miss Marple's Final Cases
(1979)
‘There's a pin in your tunic.’ .. He said, ‘They do say, “See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck.”’
1966
Flying Finish
ix.
In the little hall hung more time-worn poker work. ‘See a pin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck. See a pin and let it lie, you will want before you die.’
luck;
thrift
The PITCHER will go to the well once too often
A warning against pushing one's luck too far. Cf. early 14th-cent. Fr.
tant va pot a eve qu'il brise
, the pot goes so often to the water that it breaks.
1340
Ayenbite of lnwit
(EETS) 206
Zuo longe geth thet pot to the wetere: thet hit comth to-broke hom.
1584
Dict.
(rev. ed.) Bl
So oft goeth the pitcher to the well, that at last it commeth broken home.
1777
Collections of New London County Hist. Society
(1933) I. 223
I shall send down what I have, but dont you think the Pitcher will go to the well once too often?
1880
Church Times
30 Apr. 275
Some of Mr. Gladstone's feats in the way of sweeping obstacles out of his path have been wonderful; but the proverb tells us that the pitcher which goes oft to the well will be broken at last.
1962
Mirror Crack'd
xvii.
A phrase came into her mind… The pitcher goes to the well once too often. Nonsense. Nobody could suspect that it was she.
misfortune
;
persistence
tant va pot a eve qu'il brise
, the pot goes so often to the water that it breaks.
1340Ayenbite of lnwit
(EETS) 206
Zuo longe geth thet pot to the wetere: thet hit comth to-broke hom.
1584
Dict.
(rev. ed.) Bl
So oft goeth the pitcher to the well, that at last it commeth broken home.
1777
Collections of New London County Hist. Society
(1933) I. 223
I shall send down what I have, but dont you think the Pitcher will go to the well once too often?
1880
Church Times
30 Apr. 275
Some of Mr. Gladstone's feats in the way of sweeping obstacles out of his path have been wonderful; but the proverb tells us that the pitcher which goes oft to the well will be broken at last.
1962
Mirror Crack'd
xvii.
A phrase came into her mind… The pitcher goes to the well once too often. Nonsense. Nobody could suspect that it was she.
misfortune;
persistence
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