The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (187 page)
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find
FINDERS keepers (losers weepers)
A colloquial variant of the succeeding proverb.
1825
Glossary of North Country Words
89
No halfers—findee keepee, lossee seekee.
1856
Never too Late
III. xiii.
We have a proverb—‘Losers seekers finders keepers.’
1874
Circuit Rider
XV.
If I could find the right owner of this money, I'd give it to him; but I take it he's buried …‘Finders, keepers,’ you know.
1969
Daily Express
17 Mar. 9
Where I come from it's finders keepers, losers weepers.
1985
Ratings are Murder
xviii.
Besides, someone else may have found the money before you got there. Finders, keepers.
gains and losses
1825Glossary of North Country Words
89
No halfers—findee keepee, lossee seekee.
1856
Never too Late
III. xiii.
We have a proverb—‘Losers seekers finders keepers.’
1874
Circuit Rider
XV.
If I could find the right owner of this money, I'd give it to him; but I take it he's buried …‘Finders, keepers,’ you know.
1969
Daily Express
17 Mar. 9
Where I come from it's finders keepers, losers weepers.
1985
Ratings are Murder
xviii.
Besides, someone else may have found the money before you got there. Finders, keepers.
gains and lossesFINDINGS keepings
See also the preceding proverb. Cf. PLAUTUS
Trinummus
1.63
habeas ut nanctu's
, he may keep that finds. The principle was current in England before the present formulation;
1595
A. COOKE
Country Errors in Harley MS
5247 108
V
That a man finds is his own, and he may keep it.
1863
Discovery of Source of Nile
V.
The scoundrels said, ‘Findings are keepings, by the laws of our country; and as we found your cows, so we will keep them.’
1904
Daily Chronicle
27 Sept. 1
Harsh sentences of imprisonment for ‘findings-keepings’ offences.
1963
Sense of Reality
38
‘I found them in the passage.’..‘Finding's [i.e. the action or fact of finding, rather than the objects found, as in earlier examples] not keeping here,’ he said, ‘whatever it may be up there.’
gains and losses
Trinummus
1.63
habeas ut nanctu's
, he may keep that finds. The principle was current in England before the present formulation;
1595
A. COOKE
Country Errors in Harley MS
5247 108
V
That a man finds is his own, and he may keep it.
1863Discovery of Source of Nile
V.
The scoundrels said, ‘Findings are keepings, by the laws of our country; and as we found your cows, so we will keep them.’
1904
Daily Chronicle
27 Sept. 1
Harsh sentences of imprisonment for ‘findings-keepings’ offences.
1963
Sense of Reality
38
‘I found them in the passage.’..‘Finding's [i.e. the action or fact of finding, rather than the objects found, as in earlier examples] not keeping here,’ he said, ‘whatever it may be up there.’
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