Read The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs Online
Authors: John Andrew Simpson,
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (28 page)
BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
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If you can't BEAT them, join them
Beat
is usually replaced by
lick
in the US.
1941
Wounded don't Cry
i.
There is an old political adage which says ‘If you can't lick 'em, jine 'em’.
1953
Foolish Immortals
xvii.
It was vital to him to get the reins back into his own hands again. He remembered an old adage: ‘If you can't lick 'em join 'em.’
1979
Shikasta
266
I said, Running things, what's the point? He said, If you can't beat them, join them!
1984
Novena for Murder
123
‘Well,’ he said, ‘as the old saying goes, Katie girl, if you can't lick 'em, join 'em.’
1996
Washington Times
2 July B8
Having taken it on the chin so convincingly, brokers have decided that, If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
enemies
;
self-preservation
is usually replaced by
lick
in the US.
1941Wounded don't Cry
i.
There is an old political adage which says ‘If you can't lick 'em, jine 'em’.
1953
Foolish Immortals
xvii.
It was vital to him to get the reins back into his own hands again. He remembered an old adage: ‘If you can't lick 'em join 'em.’
1979
Shikasta
266
I said, Running things, what's the point? He said, If you can't beat them, join them!
1984
Novena for Murder
123
‘Well,’ he said, ‘as the old saying goes, Katie girl, if you can't lick 'em, join 'em.’
1996
Washington Times
2 July B8
Having taken it on the chin so convincingly, brokers have decided that, If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
enemies;
self-preservation
beat
BEAUTY draws with a single hair
1591Second Fruits
183
Ten teemes of oxen draw much lesse, Than doth one haire of Helens tresse.
1640
Outlandish Proverbs
no. 685
Beauty drawes more then oxen.
1666
Piazza Universale
199
One hair of a woman draws more than a hundred yoke of oxen.
1693
Persius' Satire
V 1. 247
She .. Can draw you to her,
with a single Hair
.
1712
Rape of Lock
II. 28
And beauty draws us with a single hair.
1863
King Olaf
xvi.
Not ten yoke of oxen Have the power to draw us Like a woman's hair.
1941
‘’
They tell no Tales
xxii.
Beauty draws me with a single hair if it's blonde enough.
1945
Confessions
(ed. 2) 91
The old adage .. that ‘beauty draws more than oxen.’
beauty
BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs
7.15Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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