The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-07-09
Sayings, and Who First Said Them.

Many of our common sayings, so trite
and pithy, are used without the least idea
from whose mouth or pen they first origi-
mated. Probably the works of Shake
speare furnish us with more of these fa-
miliar maxims than any other writer, for
to him we owe: "All is not gold that gilt
ters," "Make virtue of necessity,
"Screw your courage to the sticking place
-(uot point 'They laugh that win,
"This is the short and long of it, y "Com-
parisons are odious, GAS merry as the day
is long" "a Daniel come to judgment"
"Frailty, thy name is woman" and host
of others.
Washington Irving gives us "The AL
mighty Dollar"
Thomas Morton queried longago "What
will Mrs. Grundy say?" while Goldsmith
answers, "Ask me no questions and I'll tell
you no ibs."
Charles G. Pinckney gives "MilliOns for
defense, but not one cent for tribute,
"First in war, first in the hearts of his fel-
low citizens "-(not country-meu, appear
ed in the resolutions presented to the
House of Representatives in December,
1890, prepared by General Henry Lee.
From the same we Gull, Make assurance
doubly sure" christmas comes but once
a year" "Count their chickens ere they
are hatched," and "Look before you leap.
Thomas Tasser, a writer Of the Six
teentb Century gives US: sits an i'll wind
turns no good, Better late than never, !"
''Look ere thou leap, and "The stone that
is rolling can gather no moss"
''All cry and no wool is found in But
ler's Hudibras"
Dryden says: "Nono but the brave de-
serve the fair" aMen are but children of
larger growth, and Through thick and
thin"
'No pent-up Utica contracts our power,
declared Johuathau Sewell
"When Greeks join Greeks then was the
tug Of war; Nathaniel Lee. written 1892.
''of two evils l have chosen the least, "
and "Thc end must justify the means, are
from Matthew Pryor.
We are indebted TO Colley Cibber for the
agreeable intelligence that ~Richard is
himself again.
johnson tells of A good hater,' and
Macintosh in 1871, the phrase and often
attributed to John Randolph, Wise and
mastery inactivity.
"Variety's the very spice of life" and
"Not much the worse for wear, Cowper.
"Man proposes, but God dispOses,
Thomas 4 Kempis
Christopher Malow gave forth the invi-
tatiOn so often repeated by his brothers in
less public way, Love me little, love me
long"
Edward Coke was Of the opinion that
A mans house is his castle.
To Milton we owe "The paradise Of
fools, "A wilderness Of sweets, and
'Mopiug melancholy aud moonstruck mad
ness"
Edward Young tell Us Death loves a
E shining mark ~ fool at forty is a fool
indeed, but, alas, for his knowledge Of
human nature when he tells US "Man
wants but little here below, nor that little
long
From Bacon comes " knowledge is pow
er.r and Thomas Southerne reminds US
that PHYS akin to love"
Dean Swift thought tha. "Bread is the
staff Of life
Campbell found that" Coming events cast
their shadows before, and "'Tis distance
lends enehantmsnt to the view.
a thing of beauty is a joy forever is
from Keats
Franklin said "God helps those who heiT
themselves, and Lawrence Sterne com
forts US with the thought, "God temper'
the wind to the shorn lamb.
Even some Of the ''slang" phrases oftht
day have legitimate origin. Putting
your foot in it, is certainly not very ele
CANT mode of expression, but, according tC
the "Asiatic Researches" it is quite iiu'
point of law; when then the title to land i
disputed in Hindostan, two holes are dug IL
the ground and used to incase limb O
each lawyer % and the one who tire'
first lost his clients case. Fancy, ifyou can
some of our famous climbs of the law
pleading in such manner! tits general.
the client who ''puts his foot in it.
When things are in disorder they ar
often said to be turned topsy turvy; thi
, expression is derived from the way in whiel
; turf used for fuel is placed to dry, the tur
being placed downward and the expression
; then means top,side turfway.