The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (103 page)
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Don't COUNT your chickens before they are hatched
An instruction not to make, or act upon, an assumption (usually favourable) which might turn out to be wrong. The metaphorical phrase
to count one's chickens
is also used.
c
1570
New Sonnets
C2
Counte not thy Chickens that vnhatched be.
1579
Ephemerides of Phialo
19
I woulde not haue him to counte his Chickens so soone before they be hatcht, nor tryumphe so long before the victorie.
1664
Hudibras
II. iii.
To swallow Gudgeons ere th'are catch'd, And count their Chickens ere th'are hatch'd.
1829
Journal
20 May (1946) 69
I see a fund .. capable of extinguishing the debt .. in ten years or earlier … But we must not reckon our chickens before they are hatchd.
1906
in
Reminiscences
xxii.
A victory may be snatched, But never count your little chicks, Before they're safely hatched.
1935
‘’
Keep it Quiet
xxiv.
To Cardonnel, he wrote his congratulations, adding that as to convicting the thief, he feared that they were far from proof, and ought not to count their chickens.
1964
&
English Proverbs Explained
42
Mr. Smith hoped to be made manager before the end of the year … ‘Don't count your chickens before they are hatched,’ warned his wife.
optimism
to count one's chickens
is also used.
c1570
New Sonnets
C2
Counte not thy Chickens that vnhatched be.
1579
Ephemerides of Phialo
19
I woulde not haue him to counte his Chickens so soone before they be hatcht, nor tryumphe so long before the victorie.
1664
Hudibras
II. iii.
To swallow Gudgeons ere th'are catch'd, And count their Chickens ere th'are hatch'd.
1829
Journal
20 May (1946) 69
I see a fund .. capable of extinguishing the debt .. in ten years or earlier … But we must not reckon our chickens before they are hatchd.
1906
in
Reminiscences
xxii.
A victory may be snatched, But never count your little chicks, Before they're safely hatched.
1935
‘’
Keep it Quiet
xxiv.
To Cardonnel, he wrote his congratulations, adding that as to convicting the thief, he feared that they were far from proof, and ought not to count their chickens.
1964
&
English Proverbs Explained
42
Mr. Smith hoped to be made manager before the end of the year … ‘Don't count your chickens before they are hatched,’ warned his wife.
optimismIn the COUNTRY of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
‘A little wit, among foolish people, will pass a man for a great genius’ (T. Fielding
Proverbs of all Nations
(1824) 23); also used of ability as well as wit. Cf. ERASMUS
Adages
III. iv.
in regione caecorum rex est luscus
, in the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king.
1522
Works
(1843) II. 43
An one eyed man is Well syghted when He is amonge blynde men.
1640
Outlandish Proverbs
no. 469
In the kingdome of blind men the one ey'd is king.
1830
Arabic Proverbs
34
The one-eyed person is a beauty in the country of the blind.
1904
in
Strand
Apr. 405
Through his thoughts ran this old proverb .. ‘In the Country of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is king.’
1937
Letter
7 Mar. in
Young Man's Country
(1977) ii.
You exaggerate the alleged compliment paid to me by the Bengal Govt. in wanting to retain my services. ‘In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king.’
1979
Guardian
3 Oct. 11
At last among the blind the one-eyed man was king … There are men much more limited than David.
ignorance
;
rulers and ruled
Proverbs of all Nations
(1824) 23); also used of ability as well as wit. Cf. ERASMUS
Adages
III. iv.
in regione caecorum rex est luscus
, in the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king.
1522Works
(1843) II. 43
An one eyed man is Well syghted when He is amonge blynde men.
1640
Outlandish Proverbs
no. 469
In the kingdome of blind men the one ey'd is king.
1830
Arabic Proverbs
34
The one-eyed person is a beauty in the country of the blind.
1904
in
Strand
Apr. 405
Through his thoughts ran this old proverb .. ‘In the Country of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is king.’
1937
Letter
7 Mar. in
Young Man's Country
(1977) ii.
You exaggerate the alleged compliment paid to me by the Bengal Govt. in wanting to retain my services. ‘In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king.’
1979
Guardian
3 Oct. 11
At last among the blind the one-eyed man was king … There are men much more limited than David.
ignorance;
rulers and ruled
Happy is the COUNTRY which has no history
Carlyle (see quot. 1864) attributed this observation to the French political philosopher Montesquieu (1689–1755). Cf.
1740
B. FRANKLIN
Poor Richard's Almanack
(Feb.) Happy that Nation,—fortunate that age, whose history is not diverting.
1807
Letter
29 Mar. in
Writings
(1904) XI. 182
Blest is that nation whose silent course of happiness furnishes nothing for history to say.
1860
Mill on Floss
vi. iii.
The happiest women, like the happiest nations, have no history.
1864
Frederick the Great
IV. xvi. i.
Happy the people whose annals are blank in history.
1880
Mary Anerley
vi.
This land, like a happy country, has escaped, for years and years, the affliction of much history.
1957
Testament of Experience
I. iv.
Quoting the familiar dictum: ‘Happy is the country which has no history,’ I remarked that I belonged, like Edward VIII, to a generation which was still on the early side of middle age but had already seen almost more history than any generation could bear.
1981
Nature
23 Apr. 698
An old proverb .. tells us that ‘happy is the nation that has no history.’.. DNA .. is the unhappiest of molecules, for it is the subject of innumerable biographies.
blessings
;
past
1740
B. FRANKLIN
Poor Richard's Almanack
(Feb.) Happy that Nation,—fortunate that age, whose history is not diverting.
1807Letter
29 Mar. in
Writings
(1904) XI. 182
Blest is that nation whose silent course of happiness furnishes nothing for history to say.
1860
Mill on Floss
vi. iii.
The happiest women, like the happiest nations, have no history.
1864
Frederick the Great
IV. xvi. i.
Happy the people whose annals are blank in history.
1880
Mary Anerley
vi.
This land, like a happy country, has escaped, for years and years, the affliction of much history.
1957
Testament of Experience
I. iv.
Quoting the familiar dictum: ‘Happy is the country which has no history,’ I remarked that I belonged, like Edward VIII, to a generation which was still on the early side of middle age but had already seen almost more history than any generation could bear.
1981
Nature
23 Apr. 698
An old proverb .. tells us that ‘happy is the nation that has no history.’.. DNA .. is the unhappiest of molecules, for it is the subject of innumerable biographies.
blessings;
past
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