The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (200 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
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FOOLS and bairns should never see half-done work
They may mistakenly judge the quality of the finished article from its awkwardness while it is being produced.
1721
Scottish Proverbs
108
Fools should not see half done Work. Many fine Pieces of Work will look .. aukward when it is a doing.
1818
Letter
Dec. (1933) V. 265
‘Bairns and fools’.. according to our old canny proverb should never see half done work.
1902
Anna of Five Towns
viii.
No stage of the manufacture was incredible by itself, but the result was incredible .. authenticating the adage that fools and children should never see anything till it is done.
1913
Highways & Byways in Border
ix.
To the lay eye improvement is yet barely perceptible. ‘Fools and bairns’, however, they tell us, ‘should never see half-done work.’
1934
Death on Set
ii.
He has never really liked anybody seeing the roughs except the technical staff. Said it gave the players ideas they were better without. ‘Fools and children, and unfinished work,’ you know.
fools
;
work
FOOLS ask questions that wise men cannot answer
1666
Italian Proverbs
249
One fool may ask more than seven wise men can answer.
1738
Polite Conversation
II. 156
‘Miss, can you tell which is the white Goose?’.. ‘They say, a Fool will ask more Questions than the wisest body can answer.’
1821
Pirate
II. v.
Bryce Snaelsfoot is a cautious man … He knows a fool may ask more questions than a wise man cares to answer.
1871
Life of J. S. Batkins
liv.
Bean appeared always to be fond of Amanda …I asked him one day …He looked at me, and said, ‘Batkins, fools ask questions that wise men cannot answer.’
fools
;
wisdom

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