A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

If you PLAY with fire you get burnt
The metaphorical phrase to play with fire, to tinker with something potentially dangerous, is also commonly found. Cf. 1655 H. VAUGHAN Silex Scintillans II. 15 I played with fire, did counsell spurn,.. But never thought that fire would burn, Or that a soul could ake.

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  1884 R. H. THORPE Fenton Family xiv. If people will play with fire, they must expect to be burned by it some time. If I had not learned the game, and thought myself a good player, I’d never have lost Mother’s money. 1980 P. KINSLEY Vatch-man Switch xxiv. If you play with fire you get burnt. Shouldn’t mess around in Crown Colonies. ■ action and consequence; peril
  

play see also (noun) FAIR play’s a jewel; GIVE and take is fair play; TURN about is fair play; all WORK and no play makes Jack a dull boy; (verb) when the CAT’S away, the mice will play.
You can’t PLEASE everyone

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  1472 E. PASTON Letter 16 May in Paston Letters (1971) I. 635 I am in serteyn the contrary is true—yt is nomore but that he can not plese all partys. 1616 T. DRAXE Adages 45 One can hardly please all men. 1844 RUSKIN Journal 30 Apr. in Diaries 1835-47 (1956) 274 At Ward’s about window—nothing done. Gastineau came up and don’t like mine: can’t please everybody. 1981 Daily Telegraph 16 May 18 The old adage, ‘you can’t please everyone’, holds good. ■ conduct; public relations
  

PLEASE your eye and plague your heart

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  c 1617 A. BREWER LovesickKing (1655) III. E3V She may please your eye a little.. but vex your heart. 1748 SMOLLETT Roderick Random II. xl. Many a substantial farmer.. would be glad to marry her; but she was resolved to please her eye, if she should plague her heart. 1829 COBBETT Advice to Young Men III. cxxic. ‘Please your eye and plague your heart’ is an adage that want of beauty invented, I dare say, more than a thousand years ago. 1876 I. BANKS Manchester Man III. vi. But I will marry him, mamma—I’ll please my eye, if I plague my heart. ■ appearance; beauty; love