The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (530 page)

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a CHAIN is no stronger than its weakest link
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FACTS are stubborn things
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Cf. L.
stylus virum arguit
, the style shows the man; G. L. LE CLERC, CONTE DE BUFFON in
Histoire Naturelle
(1753) VII. p. xvii.
Le style est l'homme même
, the style is the man himself.
1901
Bible Characters
V. civ.
If the style is the man in Holy Scripture also .. we feel a very great liking for Luke.
1942
Reply Paid
ix.
Usually I don't like to have my style modified. ‘The style is the man.’
human nature
;
idiosyncrasy

 
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In this form, from a remark made by Napoleon to the Polish ambassador De Pradt (D. G. De Pradt
Histoire de l'Ambassade
.. (1815) 215), following the retreat from Moscow in 1812:
Du sublime au ridicule il n'y a qu'un pas
, there is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous. The idea, however, was not original to Napoleon: 1795 T. PAINE
Age of Reason
II. 20 The sublime and the ridiculous are often so nearly related, that it is difficult to class them separately. One step above the sublime, makes the ridiculous; and one step above the ridiculous, makes the sublime again.
1879
Milton
116
The Hague tittle-tattle .. is set forth in the pomp of Milton's loftiest Latin … The sublime and the ridiculous are here blended without the step between.
1909
Times Literary Supplement
17 Dec. 492
In the case of Louis XVIII, indeed, the ridiculous was, as it is commonly said to be, only a step removed from the sublime.
1940
tr.
L. Feuchtwanger's Paris Gazette
II
. xxxviii.
From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step, but there's no road that leads back from the ridiculous to the sublime.
1983
Appleby & Honeybath
iii.
‘At least,’ he said, ‘we can now go next door. Architecturally speaking, it's to move from the sublime to the ridiculous.’
great and small

 
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