A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

mend see it is NEVER too late to mend; when THINGS are at the worst they begin to mend.
mended see LEAST said, soonest mended.
mending see a WOMAN and a ship ever want mending.
mention see never mention ROPE in the house of a man who has been hanged.
merrier see the MORE the merrier.
It is MERRY in hall when beards wag all
□с 1300 King Alisaunder (EETS) 1.1164 Swithe [so] mury hit is in halle, When the burdes wawen alle! 1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs II. vii. 13^V It is mery in halle, When berds wag all. 1598 SHAKESPEARE Henry IV, Pt. 2 v. iii. 35 Be merry, be merry, my wife has all. .. ‘Tis merry in hall when beards wag all. 1738 SWIFT Polite Conversation ii. 170 Come; they say, ‘Tis merry in Hall, when Beards wag all. 1857 TROLLOPE Barchester Towers III. iv. ‘’Twas merry in the hall when the beards wagged all;’ and the clerical beards wagged merrily.. that day. 1976 ‘J. DAVEY’ Treasury Alarm i. Presumably this is how the Treasury greybeards get their fun. Are they in fact grey- bearded. One rather assumes a great wagging of beards: ’tis merry in hall when beards wag all.? hospitality; merriment
merry see also a CHERRY year, a merry year; EAT, drink, and be merry...
Merryman see the best DOCTORS are Dr Diet, Dr Quiet, and Dr Merryman.
mice see the BEST-laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley; it doesn’t matter if a CAT is black or white, as long as it catches mice; a CAT in gloves catches no mice; when the CAT’S away, the mice will play; KEEP no more cats than will catch mice.
mickle see MANY a little makes a mickle; MANY a mickle makes a muckle.
midge see the MOTHER of mischief is no bigger than a midge’s wing.
midnight see one HOUR’S sleep before midnight is worth two after.