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Proverb

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kashwalah | 16:05 Wed 26th Apr 2006 | Phrases & Sayings
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proverb illustrating the importance of thinking before you act
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Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. This has been asked and answered several times here recently.
If you first searched the site
The answer you find might
Look before you leap
One favoured by crossword compilers is, A stitch in time saves nine.
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please no more, but thank you!
If your mother's a witness, don't do it!

I'm seriously not being pedantic QM, given our recent conversation, but "Fools rush in..." isn't a proverb, it's a quote from my favourite poem, Alexander Pope's "An Essay on Criticism" which also gives us "A little learning is a dangerous thing, drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring" and "To err is Humane; to Forgive, Divine."



A quotation is not exempt from being classed as a proverb, adage. maxim, aphorism, apothegm - call it what you will - but the main difference is that it can be attributed to a particular person.
You make an interesting point Kempie!
What makes a proverb a proverb?
Thanks for that, Kempie. I'm perfectly well aware, Az, that the quotation is from Pope, but that does not preclude its being a proverb. I'd imagine that every single proverb in existence started as a quotation...ie something someone said/wrote.
As far as I'm concerned, "a little learning is a dangerous thing" is also now a proverb. It certainly fits "a short, pithy saying in common and recognised use". That's TOED's definition of a proverb and I'd claim that certainly applies to the answer I provided here,too.
The key reason for my offering that answer was that - when this question first appeared on AnswerBank some days ago - it was presented in such a way that the answer had to fit the following word and letter patterns...5, 4, 2, 5, 6, 4, 2, 5. Given that, what response would you have given here?
-- answer removed --

I stand corrected QM.
If I was presented with the question in the form you describe, in all honesty, I probably would have failed to answer it at all! lol


However the answer I gave to the question here was what first came to mind, even before reading the replies.


I do agree now though, your answer qualifies and I apologise if you felt I was being picky, again!


I'm not nearly as abrasive as you think! lol

I'm sure you're not, Az. We'll get along just fine. I have to say, though, that reading everything on an answer-page before committing oneself is a good idea. Cheers

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