A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1575 G. GASCOIGNE Fruits of War I. 155 Suffiseth this to proove my theame withall, That every bullet hath a lighting place. 1765 WESLEY Journal 6 June (1912) V. 130 He never received one wound. So true is the odd saying of King William [III], that ‘every bullet has its billet’. 1922 JOYCE Ulysses 366 The ball rolled down to her as if it understood. Every bullet has its billet. 1932 R. C. WOODTHORPE Public School Murder XI. iv. 237 It is said that every bullet finds its billet. I am afraid this is yet another instance of a shaft at random sent finding a mark the archer never meant. "death; fate and fatalism

A BULLY is always a coward
1817 M. EDGEWORTH Ormond in Harrington & Ormond III. xxiv. Mrs. M’Crule, who like all other bullies was a coward, lowered her voice. 1826 LAMB Elia in New Monthly Magazine XVI. 25 A Bully is always a coward. .. Confront one of the silent heroes with the swaggerer of real life, and his confidence in the theory quickly vanishes. 1853 T. C. HALIBURTON Wise Saws iv. I never saw a man furnished with so much pleasure in my life. A brave man is sometimes a desperado. A bully is always a coward. 1981 Times 9 May 2 The old adage holds good: all bullies are cowards, and most cowards are bullies. "cowardice
bung-hole see SPARE at the spigot, and let out at the bung-hole.
burden see GOD makes the back to the burden.
burn (verb) see BETTER to marry than to burn.
burned see ONCE bitten, twice shy.
A BURNT child dreads the fire

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  c 1250 Proverbs of Hending in Anglia (1881) IV. 199 Brend child fuir fordredeth [is in dread of]. c 1400 Romaunt of Rose 1. 1820 ‘For evermore gladly,’ as I rede, ‘Brent child of fier hath mych drede.’ 1580 LYLY Euphues & his England II. 92 A burnt childe dreadeth the fire. .. Thou mayst happely forsweare thy selfe, but thou shalt neuer delude me. 1777 P. THICKNESSE Journey I. xviii. He then observed, that a burnt child dreads the fire;.. that a Jew had lately passed thro’ France, who had put off false Bank notes, and that I might.. have taken some. 1889 Pictorial Proverbs for Little People 5 She will not touch a match or a lighted candle.. which proves that the proverb is true which says: a burnt child dreads the fire. 1948 WODEHOUSE Uncle Dynamite II. vii. The burnt child fears the fire, and bitter experience had taught Pongo Twistleton to view with concern the presence in his midst of Ickenham’s fifth earl. 1984 Newsweek 5 Nov. 98 The burned child fears the fire and when dawn breaks next Tuesday voters may pull the covers over their ringing heads and refuse to get out of bed. ■ experience