The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (410 page)
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OLD sins cast long shadows
Cf.
1638
SUCKLING
Aglaura
v. in
Plays
(1971) 110 Our sins, like to our shadowes, When our day is in its glorie scarce appear: Towards our evening how great and monstrous they are!
1924
Scar
xxiii.
‘You don't look well …No fresh worry, I hope.’ ‘No,’ wearily. ‘Only old sins have long shadows.’
1957
Testament of Experience
I
. iii.
If he hadn't been killed, they would probably never have become what they were… Bygone battles, like old sins, cast long shadows.
1987
Killings at Badger's Drift
viii.
‘The father was no good. Drove his poor wife into her grave.’ ‘So I understood.’ ‘Old sins cast long shadows.’
past
;
wrong-doers
1638
SUCKLING
Aglaura
v. in
Plays
(1971) 110 Our sins, like to our shadowes, When our day is in its glorie scarce appear: Towards our evening how great and monstrous they are!
1924Scar
xxiii.
‘You don't look well …No fresh worry, I hope.’ ‘No,’ wearily. ‘Only old sins have long shadows.’
1957
Testament of Experience
I
. iii.
If he hadn't been killed, they would probably never have become what they were… Bygone battles, like old sins, cast long shadows.
1987
Killings at Badger's Drift
viii.
‘The father was no good. Drove his poor wife into her grave.’ ‘So I understood.’ ‘Old sins cast long shadows.’
past;
wrong-doers
OLD soldiers never die
1920(
song-title
)
Old soldiers never die.
1930
Songs & Slang of British Soldier
1914–18
II
. 67
Old soldiers never die—They simply fade away.
1933
Old Soldiers never Die
xxviii.
We generally wound up our evenings with the old song, set to the tune of a well-known hymn, ‘Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away.’
1940
Times
6 Apr. 4
There is an old saying that ‘Old soldiers never die’—but they may starve .. when other State pensioners are receiving increased benefits.
1984
Dead Letter
ii.
Old soldiers never die. I've run across him since the war and he was still alive and kicking.
old age;
soldiers
old
see also
BETTER be an old man's darling, than a young man's slave
;
you cannot CATCH old birds with chaff
;
there's no FOOL; like an old fool
;
there's many a GOOD tune played on an old fiddle
;
HANG a thief when he's young and he'll no' steal when he's old
;
a MAN is as old as he feels, and a woman as old as she looks
;
NEVER too old to learn
;
you can't put NEW wine in old bottles
;
it is best to be OFF with the old love before you are on with the new
;
an old POACHER makes the best gamekeeper
;
you cannot SHIFT an old tree without it dying
;
you can't TEACH an old dog new tricks
;
YOUNG folks think old folks to be fools but old folks know young folks to be fools
;
YOUNG men may die but old men must die
;
YOUNG saint, old devil
.
BETTER be an old man's darling, than a young man's slave
;
you cannot CATCH old birds with chaff
;
there's no FOOL; like an old fool
;
there's many a GOOD tune played on an old fiddle
;
HANG a thief when he's young and he'll no' steal when he's old
;
a MAN is as old as he feels, and a woman as old as she looks
;
NEVER too old to learn
;
you can't put NEW wine in old bottles
;
it is best to be OFF with the old love before you are on with the new
;
an old POACHER makes the best gamekeeper
;
you cannot SHIFT an old tree without it dying
;
you can't TEACH an old dog new tricks
;
YOUNG folks think old folks to be fools but old folks know young folks to be fools
;
YOUNG men may die but old men must die
;
YOUNG saint, old devil
.
You cannot make an OMELETTE without breaking eggs
Cf. Fr.
on ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des œufs
, one does not make an omelette without breaking eggs.
1859
Audi Alteram Partem
II
. xc.
We are walking upon eggs and .. the omelet will not be made without the breaking of some.
1897
St. Ives
viii.
You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs, .. and it is no bagatelle to escape from Edinburgh Castle. One of us, I think, was even killed.
1922
Cathedral
II
. iv.
He could imagine .. the scene and the reception his advice would have. Nevertheless, how sad that undoubtedly you cannot make an omelette without first breaking the eggs!
1974
Sticking Place
iv.
‘In your philosophy, it seems that some men have no right to live at all.’ .. ‘You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, Mother.’
necessity
;
ways and means
on ne fait pas d'omelette sans casser des œufs
, one does not make an omelette without breaking eggs.
1859Audi Alteram Partem
II
. xc.
We are walking upon eggs and .. the omelet will not be made without the breaking of some.
1897
St. Ives
viii.
You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs, .. and it is no bagatelle to escape from Edinburgh Castle. One of us, I think, was even killed.
1922
Cathedral
II
. iv.
He could imagine .. the scene and the reception his advice would have. Nevertheless, how sad that undoubtedly you cannot make an omelette without first breaking the eggs!
1974
Sticking Place
iv.
‘In your philosophy, it seems that some men have no right to live at all.’ .. ‘You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, Mother.’
necessity;
ways and means
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