A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

BUSINESS is war
Modern saying, sometimes said to be of Japanese origin.

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  1905 New York Times 9 Apr. (online) That business is war is truer of nothing in modern commerce than the railway business. 1984 New York Times 14 Nov. (online) Declaring that ‘business is war’, Mr Tramiel also said his company was reducing prices.. $50 because competitors have become ‘greedy’. 2000 Linux Journal Aug. (online) Their conceptual metaphors are ‘business is war’ and ‘markets are battlefields’. "business
  

business see also EVERYBODY’S business is nobody’s business; PUNCTUALITY is the soul of business.
busy see if you WANT something done, ask a busy person.
butter see (noun) the same FIRE that melts the butter hardens the egg; there are more WAYS of killing a dog than choking it with butter; (verb) FINE words butter no parsnips.
buttered see the BREAD never falls but on its buttered side.
BUY in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest

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  1595 T. LODGE Fig for Momus H2 Buy cheape, sell deare. 1862 RUSKIN Unto this Last II. 60 Buy in the cheapest market?—yes; but what made your market cheap?.. Sell in the dearest?.. But what made your market dear? 1880 J. A. FROUDE Bunyan vii. ‘To buy in the cheapest market and sell in the dearest’ was Mr. Badman’s common rule in business. .. In Bunyan’s opinion it was knavery in disguise. "buying and selling
  

You BUY land, you buy stones; you buy meat, you buy bones
Cf. 1595 Pedler’s Prophesy B4^V You shall be sure to haue good Ale, for that haue no bones.
□1670 J. RAY English Proverbs 211 He that buys land buys many stones; He that buys flesh buys many bones; He that buys eggs buys many shells, But he that buys good ale buys nothing else. 1721 J. KELLY Scottish Proverbs 172 He that buys Land, buys Stones; He that buys Beef, buys Bones; He that buys Nuts, buys shells; He that buys good Ale, buys nought else. 1970 Countryman Autumn 172 Welsh butcher to customer complaining of bony meat: ‘Well, missus, you buy land, you buy stones; buy meat, you buy bones.’ "buying and selling; property