The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (549 page)

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o
, being a thief myself I recognized the tracks of a thief.
1654
Pleasant Notes upon Don Quixote
IV
. ii.
As they say, set a fool to catch a fool; a proverb not of that gravity (as the Spaniards are), but very usefull and proper.
1665
Four New Plays
74
According to the old saying, Set a Thief to catch a Thief.
1812
Tales of Fashionable Life
VI. 446
‘You have all your life been evading the laws … Do you think this has qualified you peculiarly for being a guardian of the laws?’ Sir Terence replied, ‘Yes, sure, set a thief to catch a thief is no bad maxim.’
1979
Guardian
5 July 9
‘Set a thief to catch a thief.’ .. She was implicitly condoning bent practices used by the police against .. The Underworld.
guile
;
wrong-doers
When THIEVES fall out, honest men come by their own
1546
Dialogue of Proverbs
II
. ix.L1
And olde folke vnderstood, Whan theues fall out, true men come to their good, Which is not alwaie true.
a
1640
Blind Beggar
(1659)IV. G2
V
Here's the old Proverb right, When false Theeves fall out, true men come to their own.
1681
Whigs' Supplication
II
. 53
When thieves reckon, it's oft-times known that honest people get their own.
1838
Letter
26 Mar. in
Correspondence
(1931) V. 545
You must recollect the old adage, ‘When rogues fall out, truth is revealed, and honest men get justice.’
1866
Hereward the Wake
XV
.
The rogues have fallen out, and honest men may come by their own.
1980
Queue here for Murder
xiii.
‘She's pretty tied up with that Arab fellow, isn't she? They seem thick as thieves.’ ‘But thieves fall out.’ .. ‘You're a disgraceful old matchmaker!’
honesty and dishonesty
;
wrong-doers

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