The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (133 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
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The best DOCTORS are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet, and Dr Merryman
Cf.
a
1449
LYDGATE
Minor Poems
(EETS) 704 Thre lechees [doctors] consarue a mannys myht, First
a glad hert .. Temperat
diet .. And best of all, for no thyng
take no thouht
.
1558
Government of Health
50
V
I should not staye my selfe vpon the opinion of any one phisicion, but rather vpon three … The first was called doctor diet, the seconde doctor quiet, the thirde doctor mery man.
1738
Polite Conversation
II. 154
The best Doctors in the World, are Doctor Dyet, Doctor Quiet, and Doctor Merryman.
1909
Spectator
30 Jan. 175
A proverb prescribes for sickness Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman. The merry heart goes all the way in all but the worst sicknesses.
doctors
;
health
Give a DOG a bad name and hang him
The principle is that a person's plight is hopeless once his reputation has been blackened. Similar to
he that has an ILL name is half hanged
.
1706
Spanish & English Dict
. s.v. Perro,
We say, Give a Dog an ill name and his work is done.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
124
Give a Dog an ill Name, and he'll soon be hanged. Spoken of those who raise an ill Name on a Man on purpose to prevent his Advancement.
1803
Norfolk
(Virginia)
Herald
14 Apr. 3
It is an old saying, ‘give a dog a bad name and hang him’.
1928
Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism
lvii.
The Liberal impulse is almost always to give a dog a bad name and hang him: that is, to denounce the menaced proprietors as enemies of mankind, and ruin them in a transport of virtuous indignation.
1979
Summer Scandal
xiii.
‘A man is innocent till he's proved guilty. That's English law, isn't it?’ ‘This is Scotland … Give a dog a bad name—.’
reputation
;
slander

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