The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (188 page)
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FINE feathers make fine birds
Beautiful clothes confer beauty on the wearer. Cf. early 16th-cent. Fr.
les belles plumes font les beaux oiseaux
. Identified as a Gascon saying by
1583
J. SPONDANUS in tr.
Odyssey
VI. 81
apud meos Vascones .. hac parœmia ..: speciosae plumae avem speciosam constituunt
, this is a proverb amongst my fellow Gascons: beautiful feathers make a beautiful bird.
1592
French Alphabet
II. 29
The faire feathers, makes a faire foule.
1658
Mysteries of Love & Eloquence
162
Fine feathers make fine birds. As you may see in Hide Park.
1858
Ask Mamma
X.
Mrs. Joe .. essayed to pick her to pieces, intimating that she was much indebted to her dress—that fine feathers made fine birds.
1952
Man on Donkey
I. 69
‘Well, if fine feathers'll make a fine bird—’ he said, and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.
1968
Life on Tiger Mountain
xiv.
I feel,.. if, indeed, ‘fine feathers make a fine bird’, then I would just as soon not be that peculiar kind of fine bird.
appearance, significant
;
dress
les belles plumes font les beaux oiseaux
. Identified as a Gascon saying by
1583
J. SPONDANUS in tr.
Odyssey
VI. 81
apud meos Vascones .. hac parœmia ..: speciosae plumae avem speciosam constituunt
, this is a proverb amongst my fellow Gascons: beautiful feathers make a beautiful bird.
1592French Alphabet
II. 29
The faire feathers, makes a faire foule.
1658
Mysteries of Love & Eloquence
162
Fine feathers make fine birds. As you may see in Hide Park.
1858
Ask Mamma
X.
Mrs. Joe .. essayed to pick her to pieces, intimating that she was much indebted to her dress—that fine feathers made fine birds.
1952
Man on Donkey
I. 69
‘Well, if fine feathers'll make a fine bird—’ he said, and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.
1968
Life on Tiger Mountain
xiv.
I feel,.. if, indeed, ‘fine feathers make a fine bird’, then I would just as soon not be that peculiar kind of fine bird.
appearance, significant;
dress
FINE words butter no parsnips
Nothing is ever achieved by fine words alone. Parsnips are traditionally garnished with butter before serving.
1639
Parœmiologia Anglo-Latina
169
Faire words butter no parsnips.
1692
Fables of Aesop
cccxl.
Relations, Friendships, are but Empty Names of Things, and Words Butter No Parsnips.
1763
Citizen
I. ii.
What becomes of his Greek and Latin now? Fine words butter no parsnips.
1848
Vanity Fair
xix.
Who .. said that ‘fine words butter no parsnips’? Half the parsnips of society are served and rendered palatable with no other sauce.
1947
‘’
Rose & Yew Tree
xviii.
Fine words butter no parsnips. Who will help me to reopen my shop? Who will build me a house?
1978
Men of Dunwich
xii.
Fine words, they say, butter no parsnips. They certainly build no sea-walls.
1997
Washington Post
27 Jan. C12 (
Peanuts comic strip
) [Charlie Brown:]
‘Yes, ma'am, he's a very smart dog. Thank you for saying so.’ [Snoopy:] ‘Fine words butter no parsnips.’
hypocrisy
;
words and deeds
1639Parœmiologia Anglo-Latina
169
Faire words butter no parsnips.
1692
Fables of Aesop
cccxl.
Relations, Friendships, are but Empty Names of Things, and Words Butter No Parsnips.
1763
Citizen
I. ii.
What becomes of his Greek and Latin now? Fine words butter no parsnips.
1848
Vanity Fair
xix.
Who .. said that ‘fine words butter no parsnips’? Half the parsnips of society are served and rendered palatable with no other sauce.
1947
‘’
Rose & Yew Tree
xviii.
Fine words butter no parsnips. Who will help me to reopen my shop? Who will build me a house?
1978
Men of Dunwich
xii.
Fine words, they say, butter no parsnips. They certainly build no sea-walls.
1997
Washington Post
27 Jan. C12 (
Peanuts comic strip
) [Charlie Brown:]
‘Yes, ma'am, he's a very smart dog. Thank you for saying so.’ [Snoopy:] ‘Fine words butter no parsnips.’
hypocrisy;
words and deeds
FINGERS were made before forks
Commonly used as a polite excuse for eating with one's hands at table.
1567
Loseley MSS
(1836) 212
As God made hands before knives, So God send a good lot to the cutler's wives.
1738
Polite Conversation
II. 136 (Colonel takes them [some fritters] out with his Hand.)
Col.
Here, Miss, they say, Fingers were made before Forks, and Hands before Knives.
1857
Barchester Towers
II. iii.
Miss Thorne .. was always glad to revert to anything and .. would doubtless in time have reflected that fingers were made before forks, and have reverted accordingly.
1934
Why didn't They ask Evans
? xxviii.
As they truly used to say to me in my youth .. fingers were made before forks—and teeth were used before fingers.
1983
Heroes no More
37
‘This is ridiculous. However, fingers were made before forks.’ She lifted one of the king prawns from its resting place and began to nibble at it.
excuses
;
manners
1567Loseley MSS
(1836) 212
As God made hands before knives, So God send a good lot to the cutler's wives.
1738
Polite Conversation
II. 136 (Colonel takes them [some fritters] out with his Hand.)
Col.
Here, Miss, they say, Fingers were made before Forks, and Hands before Knives.
1857
Barchester Towers
II. iii.
Miss Thorne .. was always glad to revert to anything and .. would doubtless in time have reflected that fingers were made before forks, and have reverted accordingly.
1934
Why didn't They ask Evans
? xxviii.
As they truly used to say to me in my youth .. fingers were made before forks—and teeth were used before fingers.
1983
Heroes no More
37
‘This is ridiculous. However, fingers were made before forks.’ She lifted one of the king prawns from its resting place and began to nibble at it.
excuses;
manners
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