The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (78 page)
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A CAT in gloves catches no mice
Restraint and Caution (or ‘pussyfooting’) achieve nothing. Cf. 14th-cent. Fr.
chat engaunté ne surrizera ja bien
, a gloved cat will never mouse well.
1573
Garden of Pleasure
105
A gloued catte can catche no myse.
1592
French Alphabet
II. 1
A mufled Cat is no good mouse hunter.
1758
Poor Richard's Almanack
(Preface)
Handle your Tools without Mittens; remember that the Cat in Gloves catches no Mice.
1857
Little Dorrit
II. xiv.
Mrs. General, if I may reverse the common proverb .. is a cat in gloves who
will
catch mice. That woman .. will be our mother-in-law.
1922
Red Redmaynes
ix.
As we say in Italy, ‘if you put a cat into gloves, she will not catch mice.’ You have been in gloves ever since you knew Madonna was a widow.
1979
Country Life
21 June 2047
There is hardly one [cat] but flings back the lie in the face of the old saying that a cat in gloves catches no mice. Why dirty your paws when your servants will do it for you?
efficiency and inefficiency
chat engaunté ne surrizera ja bien
, a gloved cat will never mouse well.
1573Garden of Pleasure
105
A gloued catte can catche no myse.
1592
French Alphabet
II. 1
A mufled Cat is no good mouse hunter.
1758
Poor Richard's Almanack
(Preface)
Handle your Tools without Mittens; remember that the Cat in Gloves catches no Mice.
1857
Little Dorrit
II. xiv.
Mrs. General, if I may reverse the common proverb .. is a cat in gloves who
will
catch mice. That woman .. will be our mother-in-law.
1922
Red Redmaynes
ix.
As we say in Italy, ‘if you put a cat into gloves, she will not catch mice.’ You have been in gloves ever since you knew Madonna was a widow.
1979
Country Life
21 June 2047
There is hardly one [cat] but flings back the lie in the face of the old saying that a cat in gloves catches no mice. Why dirty your paws when your servants will do it for you?
efficiency and inefficiency
A CAT may look at a king
1546Dialogue of Proverbs
II.v. H3
What, a cat maie looke on a king, ye know.
1590
Never too Late
VIII.181
A Cat may look at a King, and a swaynes eye hath as high a reach as a Lords looke.
1721
English Dictionary
s.v. Cat,
A Cat may look upon a King. This is a saucy Proverb, generally made use of by pragmatical Persons.
1935
House & its Head
xi.
There is no harm in that, dear. A cat may look at a king; and it is only in that spirit that my poor brother looks at Alison.
1979
Cracks in Ice
9
Reviewing is an adventure in responsible irreverence. A cat can look at a king.
1995
Washington Post
9 Jan. B2
A cat may look on a king, 'tis true, but time marches on and kings depart.
equality;
society
When the CAT's away, the mice will play
Cf. early 14th-cent. Fr.
ou chat na rat regne
, where there is no cat the rat is king;
c
1470
Harley
MS 3362 in
Retrospective Review
(1854) May 309 The mows lordchypythe [rules] ther a cat ys nawt;
1599
SHAKESPEARE
Henry V
I. ii. 172 To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot Comes sneaking, and so sucks her princely eggs, Playing the mouse in absence of the cat.
1607
Woman killed with Kindness
II. 135
Mum; there's an old prouerbe, when the cats away, the mouse may play.
1670
English Proverbs
68
When the cat is away, the mice play.
1876
Manchester Man
III. xiv,
Mrs. Ashton, saying ‘that when the cat's away the mice will play’, had decided on remaining at home.
1925
Juno & Paycock
I. 13
It's a good job she has to be so often away, for when the cat's away, the mice can play!
1979
Hand of Glory
iii.
‘Cat's away, mouse doth play,’ he said. ‘The cat's been away too long.’
discipline
;
opportunity, taken
ou chat na rat regne
, where there is no cat the rat is king;
c
1470
Harley
MS 3362 in
Retrospective Review
(1854) May 309 The mows lordchypythe [rules] ther a cat ys nawt;
1599
SHAKESPEARE
Henry V
I. ii. 172 To her unguarded nest the weasel Scot Comes sneaking, and so sucks her princely eggs, Playing the mouse in absence of the cat.
1607Woman killed with Kindness
II. 135
Mum; there's an old prouerbe, when the cats away, the mouse may play.
1670
English Proverbs
68
When the cat is away, the mice play.
1876
Manchester Man
III. xiv,
Mrs. Ashton, saying ‘that when the cat's away the mice will play’, had decided on remaining at home.
1925
Juno & Paycock
I. 13
It's a good job she has to be so often away, for when the cat's away, the mice can play!
1979
Hand of Glory
iii.
‘Cat's away, mouse doth play,’ he said. ‘The cat's been away too long.’
discipline;
opportunity, taken
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