A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

NEVER is a long time

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  c1390 CHAUCER Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale 1. 1411 Nevere to thryve were to long a date. 1721 J. KELLY Scottish Proverbs 260 Never is a long Term. .. Spoken to them that say they will never get such a Thing effected. 1887 BLACKMORE Springhaven I. xvii. She never could pay her rent. But ‘never is a long time’.. and.. she stood clear of all debt now. 1979 H. HOWARD Sealed Envelope iii. ‘I never reveal my sources.’.. ‘Never is a long time.’ "future
  

NEVER say never
Probably a pithy modern reformulation of the preceding proverb.

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  1977 Economist 9 Apr. 6 Mr Colley.. is politician enough never to say never. 1978 Washington Post 2 Mar. A1 Marshall did not rule out a resumption of talks, saying ‘you can never say “never” in this business.’ 1984 Washington Post 27 Apr. A23 A president should ‘never say never.’ 2002 Washington Times 18 Apr. B5 That proves you should never say ‘Never.’ "future
  

It is NEVER too late to learn
A later variation of the next two proverbs.

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  1678 R. L’ESTRANGE Seneca’s MoralsII. xx. It is never too late to learn what it is always necessary to know. 1721 J. KELLY Scottish Proverbs 266 Never too late to learn. 1856 W. COLLINS Lady of Glenwith Grange in After Dark II. 3 ‘It is never too late to learn,’ cried he. ‘I will make a fisherman of you in no time, if you will only attend to my directions.’ 1927 E. F. BENSON Lucia in London ii. We want to know what the cosmopolitan mind is thinking about. Of course we’re old, but it is never too late to learn. 2002 Washington Times 17 Feb. B3 To his credit, Norman Mailer later said that he felt ‘a very large responsibility’ for Mr. Adan’s murder, and admitted that he ‘never thought Abbott was close to killing ...I was not sensitive to the fact.’ It’s never too late to learn. ■
  

lateness; learning