The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (622 page)

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Authors: John Andrew Simpson,

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YORKSHIRE born and Yorkshire bred, strong in the arm and weak in the head
The names of other (chiefly, northern) English counties and towns are also used instead of
Yorkshire
.
1852
Notes & Queries
1st Ser. V. 573
Derbyshire born and Derbyshire bred, Strong i' th' arm, and weak i' th' head.
1869
English Proverbs
273
Manchester bred: Long in the arms, and short in the head.
1920
Credit-Power & Democracy
vi.
Organised labour at this time shows considerable susceptibility to the Border gibe of being ‘strong i' th' arm and weak i' th' head.’
1966
Double Agent
ii.
He thought, Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred, strong in th' arm and weak in't head; but it wasn't true, most of them were as quick as weasels and sharp as Sheffield steel.
human nature
YOUNG folks think old folks to be fools, but old folks know young folks to be fools
1577
Golden Aphroditis
O2
V
Young men thinks old men fooles, but old men knoweth well, Youn men are fooles.
1605
Remains concerning Britain
221
Wise was that saying of Doctor Medcalfe: You Yong men do thinke VS olde men to be fooles, but we olde men do know that you yong men are fooles.
1790
Contrast
V
. ii.
Young folks think old folks to be fools; but old folks know young folks to be fools.
1850
Frank Fairlegh
xxx.
‘Young folks always think old ones fools, they say.’ ‘Finish the adage, Sir, that old folks know young ones to be so, and then agree with me that it is a saying founded on prejudice.’
1930
Murder at Vicarage
xxxi.
I remember a saying of my Great Aunt Fanny's. I was sixteen at the time and thought it particularly foolish… She used to say, ‘The young people think the old people are fools—but the old people know the young people are fools!’
fools
;
old age
;
youth
A YOUNG man married is a young man marred
1589
Art of English Poesy
III
. xix. 173
The maide that soone married is, soone marred is.
1602
All's Well that ends Well
II
. iii. 291
A young man married is a man that's marr'd.
1961
Old House of Fear
i.
Don't forget this, though, Duncan—‘You can grave it on his tombstone, you can cut it on his card: A young man married is a young man marred.’
marriage
;
youth

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