Chapter V: 1695. Valentine's Day

On Valentine's day will a good goose lay,
If she be a good goose, her dame well to pay,
She will lay two eggs before Valentine's day.

1696. VALLEY. He who stays in the valley will never get over the hill.

1697. VALOUR. Valour can do little without discretion.

1698. VALOUR. Valour that parleys is near yielding.

1699. VENTURE. Nothing venture nothing win.

1700. VENTURE. Venture a small fish to catch a great one.

1701. VENTURE. Venture not all in one ship.

1702. VERY LAST. Fools think themselves wise to the very last.

1703. VICAR OF BRAY. The vicar of Bray will be vicar of Bray still.

1704. VICE. Vice is nourished by being concealed.

1705. VINE. Make the vine poor, and it will make you rich.

1706. VINEGAR. The sweetest wine makes the sharpest vinegar.

1707. VIRTUES. Search others for their virtues, thyself for their faults.

1708. VOWS. Vows made in storms are forgotten in calms.

W

1709. WAGER. A wager is a fool's argument.

1710. WAGES. He who serves well need not be afraid to ask his wages.

1711. WAITS. He that waits on another man's trencher, makes many a late dinner.

1712. WANT. The worth of a thing is best known by the want of it.

1713. WANT OF. For want of a nail the shoe is lost; for want of a shoe the horse is lost; for want of a horse the rider is lost.

1714. WAR. War, hunting, and law, are as full of trouble as pleasure.

1715. WAR. War is death's feast.

1716. WAR. Who preacheth war is the devil's chaplain.

1717. WAR (GOOD). He that makes a good war makes a good peace.

1718. WARES (GOOD). Good wares make quick markets.

1719. WARM. He that is warm thinks all are so.

1720. WARM. He is wise enough that can keep himself warm in winter.

1721. WARM.

The head and feet kept warm,
The rest will take no harm.

1722. WASHING. There's no washing the blackamore white.

1723. WASTE. Waste not, want not.

1724. WASTE. Wilful waste makes woeful want.

1725. WATCH. Good watch prevents misfortune.

1726. WATCH. You may be a wise man though you cannot make a watch.

1727. WATCHED POT. A watched pot never boils.

1728. WATER. Water bewitched.

1729. WATER. We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.

1730. WAX. He that hath a head of wax must not walk in the sun.

1731. WAY. Where there's a will there's a way.

1732. WAYS (MORE). There are more ways to kill a dog than hanging.

1733. WAYS. To him that wills ways are not wanting.

1734. WEAKEST. Let the weakest go to the wall.

1735. WEAKEST. Where it is weakest there the thread breaketh.

1736. WEALTH. Their folly pleads the privilege of wealth.

1737. WEARER. The wearer best knows where the shoe pinches.

1738. WEARING. Everything is the worse for wearing.

1739. WEARS. Constant dropping wears the stone.

1740. WEATHER. 'Tis pity fair weather should do any harm.

1741. WEATHER (CHANGE). Any flat can talk of change of weather.

1742. WEDDING. Wedding and ill-wintering tame both man and beast.

1743. WEDLOCK. Wedlock is a padlock.

1744. WEDS. Who weds ere he be wise shall die ere he thrive.

1745. WEEP. As great a pity to see a woman weep, as to see a goose go barefoot.

1746. WELCOME. As welcome as the flowers in May.

1747. WELCOME. "Welcome death," quoth the rat, when the trap fell down.

1748. WELCOME. Welcome is the best dish on the table.

1749. WELL. Let well alone.

1750. WELL. When the well is dug it is easy enough to pump.

1751. WELL-DOING. Be not weary of well-doing.

1752. WELL-ORDERED. All things are soon prepared in a well-ordered house.

1753. WELLS. Well-drawn wells give the sweetest water.

1754. WEPT. I wept when I was born, and every day shows why.

1755. WHET. A whet is no let [hindrance].

1756. WHISTLE. You may pay too dear for your whistle.

1757. WHY. There's ne'er a why, but there's a wherefore.

1758. WIDE. Wide will wear but narrow will tear.

1759. WIFE. Choose your wife on Saturday, and not on a Sunday.

1760. WIFE. He that goes far from home for a wife, either intends to cheat or will be cheated.

1761. WIFE. A man's best fortune or his worst is his wife.

1762. WIFE. There is one good wife in the country, and every man thinks he hath her.

1763. WIFE (GOOD). A good wife makes a good husband.

1764. WIFE (GOOD).

A good wife and health
Are a man's best wealth.

1765. WIFE (GOOD).

Saith Solomon the wise
A good wife's a prize.

1766. WIFE (NEWS). He that tells his wife news is but newly married.

1767. WILD OATS. Happy is he who hath sown his wild oats betimes.

1768. WILES. Wise men are not caught by wiles.

1769. WILFUL. If wilful will to water, wilful must be drowned.

1770. WILFUL MAN. A wilful man never wants woe.

1771. WILL. Take the will for the deed.

1772. WILL. They that cannot do as they will, must do as they can.

1773. WILL. Will without reason is blind.

1774. WILL NOT. If one will not, another will.

1775. WILL (READY). Where the will is ready, the feet are light.

1776. WILL (WAY). Where there's a will there's a way.

1777. WILLING HORSE. All lay load on the willing horse.

1778. WILLING MIND. Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.

1779. WILLOWS. Willows are weak, yet they bend other wood.

1780. WIN. Win first, lose last.

1781. WIND (NORTH).

When the wind's in the north
You need not go forth [_to fish_].

1782. WIND (EAST).

When the wind's in the east
The fish will bite least.

1783. WIND (SOUTH).

When the wind's in the south
The bait goes in their mouth.

1784. WIND (WEST).

When the wind's in the west
The fish will bite best.

1785. WIND.

Where the wind is on Candlemas Day
There it will stick to the end of May.

1786. WIND (EAST).

When the wind is in the east,
'Tis neither good for man nor beast.

1787. WIND (ILL). It's an ill wind that blows nobody good.

1788. WIND (SOUTH).

When the wind's in the south
It's in the rain's mouth.

1789. WIND (STILL).

No weather is ill
If the wind be still.

1790. WINDFALLS. None ever yet got fat on windfalls.

1791. WINDMILL. You cannot drive a windmill with a pair of bellows.

1792. WINE. More have been drowned in wine than water.

1793. WINE. When wine sinks, words swim.

1794. WINE. Wine is the master's, but the goodness is the drawer's.

1795. WINE (GOOD). Good wine needs no bush.

1796. WINE (IN). When wine is in, wit is out.

1797. WINE (TURNCOAT). Wine is a turncoat, first a friend, then an enemy.

1798. WINK. Wink at small faults.

1799. WINK. A wink's as good as a nod to a blind horse.

1800. WINTER (GOOD). A good winter brings a good summer.

1801. WINTER. Winter finds out what summer lays up.

1802. WISDOM. By wisdom peace, by peace plenty.

1803. WISDOM. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

1804. WISDOM. Wisdom rides upon the ruins of folly.

1805. WISE. Better wise than wealthy.

1806. WISE MEN. Wise men care not for what they cannot have.

1807. WISHES. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

1808. WISHES. If wishes were thrushes, beggars would eat birds.

1809. WISHES. If wishes would bide, beggars would ride.

1810. WISHES. If wishes were butter-cakes, beggars would bite.

1811. WIT. Wit is the lightning of the mind.

1812. WIT. Wit bought is twice taught.

1813. WIT. You may truss up all his wit in an egg-shell.

1814. WIT. Wit ill applied is a dangerous weapon.

1815. WIT. Wit is folly, unless a wise man hath the keeping of it.

1816. WIT. Wit may be bought too dear.

1817. WITS. He that lives upon his wits, breaks for want of stock.

1818. WIVE. A man cannot both wive and thrive in a year.

1819. WOE. Woe follows wickedness.

1820. WOLF. He had enough to keep the wolf from the door.

1821. WOLVES. Wolves lose their teeth, but not their memory.

1822. WOMAN'S STRENGTH. A woman's strength is in her tongue.

1823. WOMAN'S WORK. A woman's work is never at an end.

1824. WOMEN. Discreet women have neither eyes nor ears.

1825. WOMEN (WILLS). Women must have their wills while they live, because they make none when they die.

1826. WONDER. A wonder lasts but nine days.

1827. WOO. To woo is a pleasure in young men, a fault in old.

1828. WOODCOCK. One woodcock does not make a winter.

1829. WOOING.

Happy is the wooing,
That is not long a-doing.

1830. WOOL. Many go for wool and come back shorn.

1831. WOOL SELLERS. Wool sellers know wool buyers.

1832. WORD. An honest man's word is as good as his bond.

1833. WORDS.

A man of words and not of deeds,
Is like a garden full of weeds.

1834. WORDS.

Words are but sands,
'Tis money buys lands.

1835. WORDS.

Sometimes words
Wound more than swords.

1836. WORDS. Words are like weights, gravity gives them effect.

1837. WORDS. Words are for women, actions for men.

1838. WORDS AND BLOWS.

Words are but wind,
But blows unkind.

1839. WORD (ENOUGH). A word is enough to the wise.

1840. WORDS (EVENING). Words spoken in an evening the wind carrieth away.

1841. WORDS (FAIR). Fair words butter no parsnips.

1842. WORDS (FAIR). Fair words will not keep a cat from starving.

1843. WORDS (FEW). Few words are best.

1844. WORDS (GOOD). Good words cool more than cold water.

1845. WORDS (GOOD). Good words fill not a sack.

1846. WORDS (MANY). Many words will not fill a bushel.

1847. WORDS (SOFT). Soft words hurt not the mouth.

1848. WORK. They that will not work in heat, must hunger in frost.

1849. WORKMEN (BAD). Bad workmen always complain of their tools.

1850. WORLD. One half of the world knows not how the other half lives.

1851. WORLD. The world is his who knows how to wait for it.

1852. WORLD. The world was never so dull but if one won't another will.

1853. WORLD. This world is nothing except it tend to the next.

1854. WORLD'S PULSE. There needs a long time to know the world's pulse.

1855. WORM. Tread on a worm and it will turn.

1856. WORST. When things get to the worst, they'll mend.

1857. WORST SPOKE. The worst spoke in the cart-wheel breaks first.

1858. WOULD.

"He that wolde not when he might,
He shall not when he wold-a."

1859. WOUNDS. Wounds may heal, but not those made by ill words.

1860. WRANGLERS. Wranglers never want words.

1861. WRATH. A soft answer turneth away wrath.

1862. WRESTLE. He that is thrown would ever wrestle.

1863. WRETCH. He who maketh others wretched is himself a wretch, whether prince or peasant.

1864. WRONGS. Two wrongs will not make a right.

1865. WRONG SOW. To take the wrong sow by the ear.

Y

1866. YEAR. Say no ill of the year till it is passed.

1867. YEARS. Years know more than books.

1868. YES AND NO.

Between a woman's yes and no,
There is not room for a pin to go.

1869. YORKSHIRE. Yorkshire fashion--every man pay his share.

1870. YOUNG. Old young, and old long.

1871. YOURSELF. Help yourself and your friends will like you.

1872. YOURSELF. If you want a thing done, do it yourself.

1873. YOUTH. A growing youth hath a wolf in his stomach.

1874. YOUTH.

If youth knew what age would crave.
It would both get and save.

1875. YOUTH. Youth and white paper take any impression.

1876. YOUTH. Youth will have its swing.

1877. YULE. Yule is good on Yule even.

Z

1878. ZEAL. Zeal without knowledge is fire without light.

1879. ZEAL. Zeal without knowledge is frenzy.

1880. ZEAL. Zeal without knowledge is the sister of folly.

INDEX

OF PRINCIPAL WORDS.

_The Subject Words of the Dictionary are not repeated here._

_Word_ _No._

A

Ability--gentility 668

Abroad--beef 460

Abundance--money 1099

Accuser 735

Acorn--October 1167

Acquittance 614

Acquaintances 571

Actions 1282

Actions for men 1837

Advantage 628

Adversity--friends 645

Adversity tries 1301

Affairs--others 1305

Affairs of men 1616

Afraid--cowardice 342

Afternoon--fair 1104

Age--rueful 1342

Age--save 1390

Age--youth 1874

Agrees worse 1302

Air--castles 206

Alloy--joy 874

Almanacks 330

Alone--better 54

Amends--angry 32

Angry man 827

Another's table 1577

Answer--fool 603

Appetite 475

Apple--rotten 1372

April--rainy 1052

Architect 625

Argument--fact 528

Argument--wager 1709

Arm--bone in 143

Armour--hog 790

Ash 454

Asleep--sorrow 1475

Ass--head 765

Ass--mere 1403

Ass-ride 1361

Autumn 48

B

Bachelors 1039

Back--the 169

Bacon--father's 241

Bad clothes--truth 1673

Bad company 84

Bad excuse 516

Bad sack 1378

Baggage--riches 1360

Bait--fishes' mouth 589

Bait--wind 1783

Bake--brew 164

Bankrupt--beggar 95

Bare--spare 1483

Barefoot 392

Bargain--bad 113

Bark at--thieves 1594

Barks--old dog 1175

Barley--St. David's 1382

Barrel--knock 798

Bartholomew--St. 420

Basket--one 478

Bat--blind 132

Battle--afraid 12

Battle--colours 291

Battle--hard 498

Beast--nature 1133

Beauty--fancy 546

Bed--early to 463

Bed--supperless 1562

Bed-fellows 796

Bed-fellows--poverty 1279

Beef--buys 86

Bees--turned 1679

Beg--poor 1358

Beggar--quarrel 1322

Beggars--bite 1810

Beggars--eat birds 1808

Beggars--ride 1809

Beggars--wishes 1807

Beggar's purse 1302

Beggary 837

Bellows--windmill 1791

Besom--sweep 1570

Best day--Wednesday 1094

Better--good 699

Bide--wishes 1809

Bill--bites 336

Bind--fast 551

Bind--sure 1564

Bird--best 1211

Birdcall 587

Bird--catch 1386

Bird--early 465

Bird--fairest 361

Bird--old 223

Bird--roost 1366

Bird--sing 1442

Birds--little 970

Birds of prey 1291

Bite--bark 442

Bite best--fish 1784

Bite--beggars 1810

Bite--fish 1782

Bite--own dog 1203

Biters--barkers 71

Bitter--sweet 829

Bitter thing 1535

Blackamore 1722

Blackberries 1262

Blame--bidden 118

Blame--pity 1251

Blamed--truth 1674

Blessing--God 1693

Blind--will 1773

Blind horse--mettle 1074

Blind horse--wink 1799

Blind--love 1001

Blossom--timely 1627

Blow--felled 1165

Blow--first 578

Blow--second 1410

Blows--unkind 1838

Blows--wind 1787

Boast--great 140

Body--think 1598

Bond--honest man's 1832

Bone--bred 162

Bone--tongue 1636

Bones--buys 23

Book--author 50

Books--years 1867

Born--stable 1514

Born--wept 1754

Borrow--contented 313

Borrowing 1477

Bosom--snake 1462

Bottle--milk 1076

Bottom--bare 1483

Bottom--fish 584

Bottom--spare 1484

Bottom--tub 505

Bought wit 1812

Brain--idle 832

Brains--mob 1091

Branch--roost 1366

Brave--the 624

Bray--vicar of 1703

Bread--buttered 182

Bread--dry 460

Bread, no 737

Bread--eaten 623

Bread--snow 544

Breakfast 801

Breath--mother's 1112

Bride--sun 745

Brim--spare 1484

Broken at last 1250

Broken--promises 1299

Broken staff 1667

Broom--furze 660

Broth--cooks 1506

Brusher's--critics 354

Bud--nip 1150

Build--flit 1213

Build houses 613

Build--pull down 1310

Built--Rome 1369

Bung-holes 1393

Buried--rich 1140

Burneth--gown 581

Bush--beats 122

Bush--bird 120

Bush--wine 1795

Bushel--corn 1058

Business 503

Butter--cheese 1075

Butter--parsnips 1465

Butter-cakes 1810

Buttock 63

Buy--houses 613

Buyers--wool 1831