The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (623 page)
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YOUNG men may die, but old men must die
Cf. the words of a Roman noblewoman rejecting an elderly suitor after the death of her young husband:
juvnis quidem potest cito mori; sed senex diu vivere non potest
, a young man may indeed die early, but an old man cannot live long (quoted by ST JEROME,
Letter
cxxvii. 2).
1534
Dialogue of Comfort
(1553)
II
. ii.
As the younge man maye happe some time to die soone, so the olde man can never liue long.
1623
Remains concerning Britain
(ed. 3) 276
Young men may die, but old men must die.
1758
Letter
5 Sept. (1967)
III
. 174
According to the good English Proverb, young people may die, but old must.
1863
Life of Billy Yank
(1952) xii.
That is the Way of the World. The old must die and the young may die.
1970
(title)
Young men may die.
death
;
necessity
;
old age
juvnis quidem potest cito mori; sed senex diu vivere non potest
, a young man may indeed die early, but an old man cannot live long (quoted by ST JEROME,
Letter
cxxvii. 2).
1534Dialogue of Comfort
(1553)
II
. ii.
As the younge man maye happe some time to die soone, so the olde man can never liue long.
1623
Remains concerning Britain
(ed. 3) 276
Young men may die, but old men must die.
1758
Letter
5 Sept. (1967)
III
. 174
According to the good English Proverb, young people may die, but old must.
1863
Life of Billy Yank
(1952) xii.
That is the Way of the World. The old must die and the young may die.
1970
(title)
Young men may die.
death;
necessity
;
old age
YOUNG saint, old devil
c1400
Middle English Sermons
from
MS
Royal 18 B xxiii (EETS) 159
Itt is a comond prouerbe bothe of clerkes and of laye men, ‘younge seynt, old dewell’.
1552
Seventh Sermon, Lord's Prayer
in
Sermons
(1844–5) 431
The old proverb, ‘Young saints, old devils’ .. is .. the devil's own invention; which would have parents negligent in bringing up their children in goodness.
1636
Collection of Sermons & Treatises
269
Young Saints, will prove but old Devils .. But .. such as proove falling starres, never were ought but meteors.
1936
Caleb Catlum's America
xxvii.
Young saint, old devil .. looks to me like you been leadin' too virtyus a life.
good and evil;
human nature
;
youth
young
YOUTH must be served
1829Boxiana
2nd Ser. II. 60
Tom Cannon made his appearance in the Prize Ring rather too late in life, under the idea that ‘Youth must be served’.
1900
Green Flag
125
There were .. points in his favour …There was age—twenty-three against forty. There was an old ring proverb that ‘Youth will be served’.
1941
Envious Casca
iv.
You're just an old curmudgeon, and you're upset because you didn't like young Roydon's play …But, my dear chap, youth must be served!
1982
Menu Cypher
i.
Maybe we should all figure to foregather at number forty in the next world. As Pearson used to say in lecture hall, with his voice quavering: ‘Youth must be served, young colleagues, served.’
opportunity;
youth
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