A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1706 J. STEVENS Spanish & English Diet. S.V. Cortes^a, Mouth civility is worth much and costs little. 1765 LADY M. W. MONTAGU Letter 30 May (1967) III. 107 Remember Civility costs nothing, and buys every thing. 1765 H. TIMBERLAKE Memoirs 73 Politeness .. costs but little. 1873 W. ALLINGHAM Rambles xiv. Civility costs nothing, it is said—Nothing, that is, to him that shows it; but it often costs the world very dear. 1980 E. HARRIS Medium for Murder x. ‘It made me hopping mad to hear you kow­towing to him.’.. ‘Politeness costs nothing,’ said Brooker. 1992 C. GRAHAM Death in Disguise v. 95 There was no call, Jill’s boss had agreed whilst comforting his employee with an iced Malibu, to take that tone. Politeness cost nothing. ■ manners; politeness

claws see a CLEVER hawk hides its claws.
clay see CANDLEMAS day, put beans in the clay, put candles and candle-sticks away.
clean see a clean CONSCIENCE is a good pillow; NEW brooms sweep clean; if every man would SWEEP his own doorstep the city would soon be clean.
CLEANLINESS is next to godliness
Next in this proverb means ‘immediately following’, as in serial order. Cf. 1605 BACON Advancement of Learning II. 44 Cleannesse of bodie was euer esteemed to proceed from a due reuerence to God.

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  a 1791 WESLEY Works (1872) VII. 16 Slovenliness is no part of religion. .. ‘Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.’ 1876 F. G. BURNABY Ride to Khiva x. ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness.’ The latter quality, as displayed in a Russian devotee, is more allied with dirt than anything else. 1979 C. EGLETON Backfire i. The hospital staff had a thing about personal cleanliness, next to godliness, you might say. 2002 Washington Post 14 Aug. C2 But a $6,000 shower curtain? Even if cleanliness is next to godliness, isn’t that kinda steep? "cleanliness