A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1636 W. CAMDEN Remains concerning Britain (ed. 5) 307 The early bird catcheth the worme. 1859 H. KINGSLEY Geoffrey Hamlyn II. xiv. Having worked.. all the week.. a man comes into your room at half-past seven.. and informs you that the ‘early bird gets the worm’. 1892 I. ZANGWILL Big Bow Mystery i. Grodman was not an early bird, now that he had no worms to catch. He could afford to despise proverbs now. 1996 R. POE Return to House of Usher ix. 167 ‘I got home at midnight last night and I’m here at seven. Where are they?.. Well, it’s the early bird that catches the worm, and no mistake.’ 2001 Washington Post 4 Sept. C13 The early bird may catch the worm, but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese. Don’t be in a hurry to take a winner. ■diligence; efficiency and inefficiency

The EARLY man never borrows from the late man

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  1659 J. HOWELL Proverbs (English) 17 The rath [early] sower never borroweth of the late. 1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 4492 The early Sower never borrows of the Late. 1978 R. WHITLOCK Calendar of Country Customs iii. Oats, too, benefit from early sowing. .. Another agricultural proverb.. declares that, ‘the early man never borrows from the late man’. "borrowing and lending
  

EARLY to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise

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  1496 Treatise of Fishing with Angle H1 As the olde englysshe prouerbe sayth in this wyse. Who soo woll ryse erly shall be holy helthy and zely [fortunate]. 1523 J. FITZHERBERT Husbandry (1530) 52^V At gramer scole I lerned a verse,..erly rysynge maketh a man hole in body, holer in soule, and rycher in goodes. 1639 J. CLARKE Parrnmiologia Anglo-Latina 91 Earley to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. 1853 SURTEES Sponge’s Sporting Tour ix. Early to bed and early to rise being among Mr. Sponge’s maxims, he was enjoying the view.. shortly after daylight. 2002 New Scientist 29 June 57 A lot of sleep doesn’t make us happier. .. It’s going to bed earlier that counts. There really is much to be said for ‘early to bed early to rise, makes one healthy, wealthy and wise.’ ■diligence; health; riches