The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (470 page)
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Give a man ROPE enough and he will hang himself
Rope
is used both literally, and figuratively—‘licence, freedom’.
1639
Holy War
v. vii.
they were suffered to have rope enough, till they had haltered themselves.
1670
English Proverbs
148
Give a thief rope enough, and he'll hang himself.
1698
in
William & Mary College Quarterly
(1950) VII. 106
The Kings prerogative .. will be hard for his Successor to retrieve, though there's a saying give Men Rope enough, they will hang themselves.
1876
Prime Minister
II. xvii.
Give Sir Orlando rope enough and he'll hang himself.
1941
Red is for Killing
x.
‘I like to build a pretty complete case before making an arrest.’ .. ‘If you give a man enough rope he hangs himself.’
1968
No Fear or Favour
xvi.
‘Judges always give a lot of rope to prisoners when they're defending themselves, don't they, sir?’ ‘That's true,’ said Stokes. ‘Let's hope he hangs himself with it,’ said the superintendent.
ways and means
;
wrong-doers
is used both literally, and figuratively—‘licence, freedom’.
1639Holy War
v. vii.
they were suffered to have rope enough, till they had haltered themselves.
1670
English Proverbs
148
Give a thief rope enough, and he'll hang himself.
1698
in
William & Mary College Quarterly
(1950) VII. 106
The Kings prerogative .. will be hard for his Successor to retrieve, though there's a saying give Men Rope enough, they will hang themselves.
1876
Prime Minister
II. xvii.
Give Sir Orlando rope enough and he'll hang himself.
1941
Red is for Killing
x.
‘I like to build a pretty complete case before making an arrest.’ .. ‘If you give a man enough rope he hangs himself.’
1968
No Fear or Favour
xvi.
‘Judges always give a lot of rope to prisoners when they're defending themselves, don't they, sir?’ ‘That's true,’ said Stokes. ‘Let's hope he hangs himself with it,’ said the superintendent.
ways and means;
wrong-doers
Never mention ROPE in the house of a man who has been hanged
1599Spanish Dialogues
i.
A man ought not to make mention of a halter in the house of a man that was hanged.
1620
tr.
Don Quixote
III
. xi.
why doe I name an Asse with my mouth, seeing one should not make mention of a rope in ones house that was hanged?
1890
Burnt Million
xxxii.
Miss Grace, whom he pictured .. as sensitive upon the matters as though if her parent had been hung she would have been to an allusion to a rope.
1958
Night of Reckoning
viii.
Never mention rope in the house of a man who has been hanged.
1995
Washington Times
14 July A4
Whenever he hears the very word ‘Vietnam’ shame could compel Mr. Clinton to excuse himself … He should remember FDR's famous admonition to avoid speaking of rope in the house of a man recently hanged.
tactNo ROSE without a thorn
Cf. CLAUDIAN
In Nuptias Honorii .. Fescennina
iv. 10
Armat spina rosas, mella tegunt apes
, a thorn arms roses, bees conceal their honey.
1430
–
40
Bochas
Prol. ix
There is no rose .. in garden, but there be sum thorne.
1579
Euphues
i. 184
The sweetest Rose hath his prickel.
1603
tr.
Montaigne's Essays
III. iii. 68
But no good without paines; no Roses without prickles.
1670
English Proverbs
138
No rose without a thorn.
1922
Ulysses
Queer the number of pins they always have. No roses without thorns.
1965
Old Lamps
218
‘But everything depends on the baby. What a bore.’ ‘No rose without a thorn. eh?’
good and evil
In Nuptias Honorii .. Fescennina
iv. 10
Armat spina rosas, mella tegunt apes
, a thorn arms roses, bees conceal their honey.
1430–
40
Bochas
Prol. ix
There is no rose .. in garden, but there be sum thorne.
1579
Euphues
i. 184
The sweetest Rose hath his prickel.
1603
tr.
Montaigne's Essays
III. iii. 68
But no good without paines; no Roses without prickles.
1670
English Proverbs
138
No rose without a thorn.
1922
Ulysses
Queer the number of pins they always have. No roses without thorns.
1965
Old Lamps
218
‘But everything depends on the baby. What a bore.’ ‘No rose without a thorn. eh?’
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