The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (76 page)
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CARE killed the cat
Cf.
CURIOSITY killed the cat
. There is some shift in meaning between
care
= worry, grief and
care
= carefulness, caution, and in quot. 1962 the meaning is ‘care lavished on the cat’, rather than care exercised by it.
1598–9
Much Ado about Nothing
v. i. 133
Though care kill'd a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.
1726
Poems
II. 761
Then, who says care will kill a cat? Rebecca shews they're out in that.
1890
‘
Miner's Right
II. xxiii.
He was always ready to enjoy himself … ‘Care killed a cat.’
1949
Holiday
xii.
We must be careful of that. Care killed the cat, said Caz.
1962
Mirror Crack'd
xxii.
Care killed the cat, they say … You don't want kindness rubbed into your skin,.. do you?
1979
Sergeant Verity & Blood Royal
xx.
‘Pretty sure, Mr. Crowe? I was bloody near ten feet short of it, that's all!’.. ‘Come on now, Verity. Care Might kill a cat! Look to the future!’
stress
CURIOSITY killed the cat
. There is some shift in meaning between
care
= worry, grief and
care
= carefulness, caution, and in quot. 1962 the meaning is ‘care lavished on the cat’, rather than care exercised by it.
1598–9Much Ado about Nothing
v. i. 133
Though care kill'd a cat, thou hast mettle enough in thee to kill care.
1726
Poems
II. 761
Then, who says care will kill a cat? Rebecca shews they're out in that.
1890
‘
Miner's Right
II. xxiii.
He was always ready to enjoy himself … ‘Care killed a cat.’
1949
Holiday
xii.
We must be careful of that. Care killed the cat, said Caz.
1962
Mirror Crack'd
xxii.
Care killed the cat, they say … You don't want kindness rubbed into your skin,.. do you?
1979
Sergeant Verity & Blood Royal
xx.
‘Pretty sure, Mr. Crowe? I was bloody near ten feet short of it, that's all!’.. ‘Come on now, Verity. Care Might kill a cat! Look to the future!’
stresscare
A CARPENTER is known by his chips
a1533
Hist. Arthur
(1582) 162
b
I know well my lorde Arthur hath been here … He is a good carpenter, for he hath made here a faire sight of chips.
1546
Dialogue of Proverbs
I. vii. 14
Muste she not (quoth he) be welcome to vs all, Amonge vs all, lettyng suche a farewell fall? But such carpenters, such chips. Quoth she folke tell.
1738
Polite Conversation
II. 153
‘You have eaten nothing.’ .. ‘See all the Bones on my Plate: They say, a carpenter's known by his Chips.’
1962
Washington Daily News
24 July 14
In the idiom of the Middle West, you can tell a wood chopper by his chips. President Kennedy's economic report .. was based on the scientific estimates of his Council of Economic Advisers.
appearance;
human nature
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