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1581
tr.
S. Guazzo's Civil Conversation
III. 51
If the prouerbe be true,.. that a fishe beginneth first to smell at the head,.. the faultes of our seruantes will be layed vppon vs.
1611
Dict. French & English
s.v. Teste,
Fish euer begins to taint at the head; the first thing that's deprau'd in man's his wit.
1674
Account of Two Voyages to New England
9
The first part that begins to taint in a fish is the head.
1915
Letter
3 Dec. in M. Gilbert
Winston S. Churchill
(1972) III. Compan. II. 1309
The guilt of criminality attaches to those responsible. ‘Well,’ said the Aga Khan, ‘fish goes rotten by the head.’
1981
Sunday Telegraph
3 May 16
‘The fish’, as the saying goes, ‘always stinks from the head downwards.’ Last Sunday we deplored Mr. Michael Foot's liking for the street politics of marches and ‘demos’. Since then, a hundred Labour MPs .. have followed their leader's example.
1997
Washington Times: Commentary
8 Dec. A2
I am sympathetic to this thesis …it echoes my mother's herring-bred wisdom,
es shtink funem kop
,
nisht funem ek:
the stench emanates from the head, not from the tail.
rulers and ruled
tr.
S. Guazzo's Civil Conversation
III. 51
If the prouerbe be true,.. that a fishe beginneth first to smell at the head,.. the faultes of our seruantes will be layed vppon vs.
1611
Dict. French & English
s.v. Teste,
Fish euer begins to taint at the head; the first thing that's deprau'd in man's his wit.
1674
Account of Two Voyages to New England
9
The first part that begins to taint in a fish is the head.
1915
Letter
3 Dec. in M. Gilbert
Winston S. Churchill
(1972) III. Compan. II. 1309
The guilt of criminality attaches to those responsible. ‘Well,’ said the Aga Khan, ‘fish goes rotten by the head.’
1981
Sunday Telegraph
3 May 16
‘The fish’, as the saying goes, ‘always stinks from the head downwards.’ Last Sunday we deplored Mr. Michael Foot's liking for the street politics of marches and ‘demos’. Since then, a hundred Labour MPs .. have followed their leader's example.
1997
Washington Times: Commentary
8 Dec. A2
I am sympathetic to this thesis …it echoes my mother's herring-bred wisdom,
es shtink funem kop
,
nisht funem ek:
the stench emanates from the head, not from the tail.
rulers and ruled
FISH and guests stink after three days
Cf. PLAUTUS
Miles Gloriosus
1.741
nam hospes nullus tam in amici hospitium devorti potest
,
quin
,
ubi triduom continuom fuerit
,
iam odiosus siet
, no host can be hospitable enough to prevent a friend who has descended on him from becoming tiresome after three days.
1580
Euphues & his England
II. 81
As we say in Athens, fishe and gestes in three dayes are stale.
1648
Hesperides
169
Two dayes y'ave larded here; a third yee know, Makes guests and fish smell strong; pray go.
1736
Poor Richard's Almanack
(Jan.)
Fish and visitors smell in three days.
1869
Notes & Queries
4th Ser. IV. 272
‘See that you wear not out your welcome.’This is an elegant rendering of the vulgar saying that ‘Fish and company stink in three days.’
1985
Down East Murders
iv.
How long should she stay? She remembered the universal truth that fish and guests smell after three days.
hospitality
Miles Gloriosus
1.741
nam hospes nullus tam in amici hospitium devorti potest
,
quin
,
ubi triduom continuom fuerit
,
iam odiosus siet
, no host can be hospitable enough to prevent a friend who has descended on him from becoming tiresome after three days.
1580Euphues & his England
II. 81
As we say in Athens, fishe and gestes in three dayes are stale.
1648
Hesperides
169
Two dayes y'ave larded here; a third yee know, Makes guests and fish smell strong; pray go.
1736
Poor Richard's Almanack
(Jan.)
Fish and visitors smell in three days.
1869
Notes & Queries
4th Ser. IV. 272
‘See that you wear not out your welcome.’This is an elegant rendering of the vulgar saying that ‘Fish and company stink in three days.’
1985
Down East Murders
iv.
How long should she stay? She remembered the universal truth that fish and guests smell after three days.
hospitalityThere are as good FISH in the sea as ever came out of it
Now often used as a consolation to rejected lovers: ‘there are plenty more fish in the sea’.
c
1573
Letter-Book
(1884) 126
In the mayne sea theres good stoare of fishe, And in delicate gardens .. Theres alwayes greate varietye of desirable flowers.
1816
Headlong Hall
xiv.
There never was a fish taken out of the sea, but left another as good behind.
1822
Nigel
III. x.
Ye need not sigh sae deeply … There are as gude fish in the sea as ever came out of it.
1944
Razor's Edge
iii.
I'm a philosopher and I know there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out. I don't blame her. You're young. I've been young too.
1962
Mirror Crack'd
xiv.
Where women are concerned, there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it.
1987
Little Death Music
xxvii.
‘Cheer up,’ she said. ‘There are plenty more fish in the sea.’
love, blighted
c1573
Letter-Book
(1884) 126
In the mayne sea theres good stoare of fishe, And in delicate gardens .. Theres alwayes greate varietye of desirable flowers.
1816
Headlong Hall
xiv.
There never was a fish taken out of the sea, but left another as good behind.
1822
Nigel
III. x.
Ye need not sigh sae deeply … There are as gude fish in the sea as ever came out of it.
1944
Razor's Edge
iii.
I'm a philosopher and I know there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out. I don't blame her. You're young. I've been young too.
1962
Mirror Crack'd
xiv.
Where women are concerned, there are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it.
1987
Little Death Music
xxvii.
‘Cheer up,’ she said. ‘There are plenty more fish in the sea.’
love, blighted
BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
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