The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (539 page)

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BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
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If every man would SWEEP his own doorstep the city would soon be clean
1624
Temple
65
When we would haue the street cleansed, let euery man sweep his owne doore, and it is quickly done.
1666
Italian Proverbs
41
If every one will sweep his own house, the City will be clean.
1856
Bacon's Essays: with Annotations
235
[We] ought to engage in the important work of
self
-reformation … ‘If each would sweep before his own door, we should have a clean street.’
1930
Times
25 Mar. 10
It appears to be hard to draw a clear distinction between deciding a question of right and wrong for one's self and deciding it for others … ‘If every man would sweep his own doorstep the city would soon be clean.’
cleanliness
;
society
SWEEP the house with broom in May, you sweep the head of the house away
There was a widespread folk belief associating broom with witches and magic; hence, flowering broom was considered unlucky and a harbinger of death in any house into which it was brought.
1873
Folk-Lore Record
I. 52
The old gentleman .. strictly forbade green brooms being used in his house during the month of May, and, as a reason for the prohibition, used to quote the adage—‘If you sweep the house with broom in May, You'll sweep the head of that house away.’
1943
Mr. Fortune Finds Pig
(1948) xvi. 64
‘What hadn't you thought of?’ Rosen demanded sharply. ‘“Sweep the house with broom in May”,’ Reggie murmured, ‘“You sweep the head of the house away.”’
calendar lore
;
superstition

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