A trick and a half.

i. e. A master-stroke of knavery.

To put one to his trumps.

Méner par un chemin, ou il n'y a point de pierres. Fr.

I'll trust him no farther than I can fling him; or, than I can

throw a mill-stone.

You may trust him with untold gold.

To turn with the wind, or tide.
To turn over a new leaf.

To turn cat-in-pan.

In the twinkling of an eye.

To stop two mouths with one morsel.

Duas linit parietes eâdem fideliâ.

Unica filid duos parare generos.

This is a modern proverb, but deserves (saith Erasmus) to be numbered amongst the ancient ones. I find it among the French; D'une fille deux gendres. To get himself two sons-in-law with one daughter.

To stop two gaps with one bush.

Due tordi ad una pania. Ital.

To kill two flies with one flap.

Fare duoi chiodi in una calda. Ital. To make two nails at one heat.

To kill two birds with one shaft, [or stone.]

D'une pierre faire deux coups.-Fr. Di un' dono far luoi amici.-Ital. To make two friends with one gift. Pigliar due colombi ad una fava.—Ital. To carry two faces under one hood.

Il a une face à deux visages.-Fr. Due visi sotto una beretta.-Ital.

To have two strings to one's bow.

This may be made a

Duabus ancoris

Il fait bien avoir deux cordes en son arc.-Fr. sentence by adding to it, It is good, or such like words. fultus.

Two hands in a dish, and one in a purse.

To have thwitten a mill-post to a pudding-prick.
She's cured of a tympany with two heels.

Kuvas.-Theocr. in hodoep. Colubram in sinu fovere. Est apud Esopum Apologus de rustico quodam in hanc rem. Cria el cuervo, y sacarte ha los ojos.

Nothing but up and ride?

To be up the queen apple-tree.

No sooner up, but the head in the aumbrey, and nose in the

cup.

W.

WANT goes by such an one's door.

A warrant sealed with butter.

I'll watch your water.

To look to one's water.

To cast water into the Thames.

Lumen scli mutuari, &c.

To water a stake.

Somerset.

You can't see green cheese, but your teeth must water.
Be it weal, or be it wae.

Weal and women cannot pan; (i. e. close together ;)

But woe and women can.

Northum.

Wear a horn, and blow it not.
I'll not wear the wooden dagger.

1. e. Lose my winnings.

To come home by weeping cross.

This weeping-cross, which gave occasion to this phrase, is about two miles distant from the town of Stafford. The Italians say, Far come la secchia che scende ridendo e monta piangendo.

You may make as good music on a wheel-barrow.

Without welt or guard.

All shall be well, and Jack shall have Jill.

With a wet finger.

Levi brachio et molli brachio.

But when, quoth Kettle to his mare? Chesh.

You shall have the whet-stone.

Spoken of him that tells a lie.

Whist, whist; I smell a bird's nest.

You'll make an end of your whistle, though the cart ɔverthrow.

Whist, and catch a mouse.

To let leap a whiting.

i. e. To let slip an opportunity.

She's neither wife, widow, nor maid.
Your wind-mill dwindles into a nut-crack.
All this wind shakes no corn.

Either win the horse, or lose the saddle.

Aut ter sex aut tres tesserœ Η τρίς ἓξ ἡ τρεῖς κύβοι. The ancie

used to play with three dice, so that thrice six must needs be the best, and three aces the worst chance. They called three aces simply three dice, because they made no more than the number of the dice. The ace side was left empty, without any spot at all, because to count them was no more than to count the dice. Hereupon this chance was called, Jactus inanis ; the empty chance.

What wind blew you hither?

Wind and weather, do thy worst.

To go down the wind.

Is the wind in that quarter?

Win it, and wear it.

To have one in the wind.

To have windmills in his head.
To wind one up.

To put one in a passion.

You may wink and choose.

Ευμήλου ἵπποι. Thrax ad thracem compositus.

He shews all his wit at once.

Il emploie tout ces cinq sens.

Fr.

God send you more wit, and me more money.
You were born when wit was scant.

Your wits are on wool-gathering.

Avere il capo à grillo. Ital.

You have wit enough to drown ships in.

You give the wolf the wether to keep.

Ha dato la pecora in guardia al lupo.-Its. Ovem lupo commisieti. Dare in guardia la lattuga a paperi.-Ital. To give the lettuce in charge to the geese.

To have a wolf by the ears.

This is also a Latin proverb, Lupum auribus tenere. When a man hath a doubtful business in hand, which it is equally hazardous to pursue or give over, as it is to hold or let go a wolf which one hath by the ears.

Not a word of pensants.

Words may pass, but blows fall heavy. Somers.
When he should work, every finger is a thumb.
If any thing stay, let work stay.

The world is well amended with him.
To have the world in a string.

He has a worm in his brain.

Not worthy to carry his books after him.
Not worthy to be named the same day.
Not worthy to wipe his shoes.

Indignus qui illi matellam porrigat

Dispeream si tu Pyladi præstare matellam

Dignus es, aut porcos pascere Pirithoi. Martial.

Not worthy to carry guts after a bear.

The Spaniards say, No vale sus orejas llenas de agua. He's not worth his ears full of water.

The Italians say, B Spoletina. Ne's of Spoleto: intimating, he's cunning blade.

PROVERBIAL SIMILES, IN WHICH THE QUALITY AND SUBJECT BEGIN WITH THE SAME LETTER.

As bare as a bird's a—, or, as the back of my hand.
As blind as a beetle or hat.

Talpâ cæcior. As blind as a mole: though, indeed, a mole is not ab. solutely blind; but hath perfect eyes, and those not covered with any membrane, as some have reported; but open, and to be found without-side the head, if one search diligently, otherwise they may easily escape one, being very small, and lying hid in the fur. So that it must be granted, that a mole sees but obscurely, yet so much as is sufficient for her manner of living, being most part under ground. Hypsæa cæcior. This Hypsæa was a woman famous for her blindness. Tiresia cæcior. The fable of Tiresias, and how he came to be blind, is well known. Leberide cæcior. Est autem Leberis exuvia sive spolium serpentis, in quo apparent effigies duntaxat oculorum, ac membranula quædam tenuissima qua serpentum oculi preteguntur. A beetle is thought to be blind, because in the evening it will fly with its full force against a man's face, or any thing else which happens to be in its way; which other insects, as bees, hornets, &c. will not do.

To blush like a black dog.

As bold as blind Bayard.
As bold as Beauchamp.

Of this surname there were many earls of Warwick, amongst whom (saith Dr. Fuller) I conceive Thomas, the first of that name, gave chief occasion to this proverb; who in the year 1346, with one squire and six archers, fought in hostile manner with a hundred armed men, at Hogges, in Normandy, and overthrew them, slaying sixty Normans, and giving the whole fleet means to land.

As brisk as a bee in a tar-pot.

As brisk as a body louse.

As busy as a bee.

As clear as crystal.
As cold as charity.

As common as Coleman hedge.
As coy as Croker's mare.
As cunning as Craddock, &c.
As cunning as Captain Drake.

As dead as a door nail.

As dull as Dun in the mire.

To feed like a farmer, or freeholder

As fine as five-pence.

As fit as a fiddle.