Never send a boy to do a man’s job.
This saying, which began to enjoy great popularity in America in the early 1900s, is derived from an earlier English proverb: “Never send a boy on a man’s errand.” The origins of the English saying are obscure, but it was well established by the mid-nineteenth century (an 1854 article in Hunt’s Yachting Magazine said, “ ’Tis an old saying though and a true one, ‘Never send a boy on a man’s errand’ ”). The American proverb has appeared countless times in books, movies, and everyday conversation. It has also been creatively altered in some memorable ways. In his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often endeared himself to women’s groups when he cited “an old saying” that went this way: “Never send a boy to do a man’s job, send a lady.” You will find some other fascinating alterations of the proverb in the stage & screen chapter.
Never kiss and tell.
Since the early 1700s, this has been the preferred phrase for advising people to keep the details of an intimate relationship secret. In modern times, the meaning of “kiss and tell” has been extended to incorporate those who reveal intimate secrets for revenge, publicity, or financial gain (as when people write a kiss-and-tell book). While the act of kissing and telling has been going on for millennia, it wasn’t until the late 1600s when a formal admonishment about it appeared in John Dryden’s lyric poem “Fair Iris and Her Swain” (turned into a song by composer Henry Purcell for a 1690 production of Dryden’s Amphitryon). Here’s the relevant passage, which includes the first appearance in print of the now-famous neverism:Fair Iris, kiss me kindly,In pity of my fate,and kindly still, and kindlyBefore it is too late.You fondly court your bliss,And no advances make,’Tis not for maids to give,But ’tis for men to take:So you may kiss me kindly,And I will not rebel;But do not kiss and tell,No never kiss and tell.
Never bite off more than you can chew.
This saying about running the risk of failure by overreaching or attempting too much seems ancient, but The Yale Book of Quotations says the warning first showed up in an 1895 New York Times article as “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” In my research, though, I’ve discovered a number of earlier usages, and all have used the neveristic phrasing. An 1887 article in the Albany Law Journal criticized a former New York City judge’s behavior in several cases, including one involving “Boss” Tweed. Apparently, the judge had inserted himself into the proceedings in a variety of inappropriate ways, including the questioning of witnesses from the bench and expressing his own personal opinions about the evidence. After a higher court ruled that the judge’s behavior was improper, the unnamed author of the article (but almost certainly editor Irving Browne) suggested that the saying was already quite popular when he wrote:“Never bite off more than you can chew” is an excellent motto for a judge or an ex-judge, and this ex-judge would do well to pencil it on his cuff for handy reference.
Never make the same mistake twice.
Often presented as Don’t make the same mistake twice, this proverb has been popular since colonial times. It’s acceptable to make one mistake, according to this sentiment, but if you make the same mistake twice—or more often—then you have committed the error of not learning from your experience. The saying continues to show up in fascinating ways. In 2009, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Nene Leakes titled her memoir: Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way.
Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story.
This quotation has been attributed to Mark Twain, William Randolph Hearst, and many others, but the original author has never been conclusively identified. The underlying idea, of course, is that the truth is sometimes sacrificed in order to tell a good story or sell more newspapers. The saying has often been mockingly attributed to newspaper publishers and writers, with some cynics even calling it “the first rule of journalism.” Over the years, many people in the journalism profession have even adopted the saying—half-seriously, half in jest—as a personal motto. The line made a memorable appearance in 1994 as the tagline for The Paper, a film with an all-star cast that included Michael Keaton, Glenn Close, and Robert Duvall. In a popular variation of the saying, “the truth” is replaced by “the facts.”
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
Now regarded as a political axiom, this saying has been attributed to Bonaparte for more than a century (although it has never been found in his writings). A popular 1910 book of quotations provided a slightly different translation, ending it with “making a false movement” instead of “making a mistake.” A similar observation from Woodrow Wilson can be found in the politics & government chapter.
Never say die.CHARLES DICKENS
This saying—which urges people to never give up, never give in, or never give up hope—was already popular in 1849, when it made an appearance in the Charles Dickens novel Barnaby Rudge (it also later showed up in several other works by Dickens). It went on to become one of history’s most famous sayings, serving as the title of four Hollywood films, over two dozen books, and at least a half-dozen songs (from such disparate artists as Waylon Jennings, Black Sabbath, and Bon Jovi), and the name of one thoroughbred racehorse.
Never take anything for granted.BENJAMIN DISRAELI
English politician and prime minister Benjamin Disraeli may not be the first person in history to offer this famous admonition, but he inserted the words into an 1864 speech.
Never complain, never explain.BENJAMIN DISRAELI
Disraeli used this saying on many occasions in the mid–1800s, and it is often described as his motto. It has been adopted by hundreds—perhaps thousands—of others, often verbatim, and sometimes with minor tweaks. In 1943, Stanley Baldwin, another former English prime minister, was quoted as saying:
You will find in politics that
you are much exposed to the attribution of false motives.
Never complain and never explain.
The saying is often associated with Henry Ford II, the grandson of Henry Ford. In 1974, while serving as chairman of the board of the Ford Motor Company, the fifty-seven-year-old Ford was arrested for drunk driving in Santa Barbara, California. The arrest was widely reported because it included one potentially salacious detail—at the time of his arrest, the married Ford was accompanied by thirty-five-year-old Kathleen DuRoss, a woman who was believed to be his mistress (a few years later, when Ford split with second wife Cristina, she became Ford’s third wife). Ford was ultimately convicted of the offense and given two years’ probation. As he was leaving the courthouse after the sentencing, he was greeted by a mob of reporters. When asked to comment, he said only four words: “Never complain, never explain.” The phrase became so popularly associated with Ford that Victor Lasky’s 1981 biography of Ford was titled Never Complain, Never Explain: The Story of Henry Ford II. The original line was Disraeli’s, though, and over the years it inspired many similar observations. You’ll find a number of them in later chapters, but here are three more: