walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs
- walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs
The idea of ‘planting trees for posterity’ is much older than the specific references to walnuts and pears. Cf. CICERO Cato Major vii. 24 ‘serit arbores, quae alteri saeclo prosint,’ ut ait Statius noster in Synephebis, ‘he plants trees, which will be of use to another age,’ as [Caecilius] Statius says in his Synephebi.
1640 G. HERBERT Outlandish Proverbs no. 198 The tree that growes slowly, keepes it selfe for another.
1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 2401 He who plants a Walnut-Tree, expects not to eat of the Fruit.
1863 A. SMITH Dreamthorp xi. My oaks are but saplings; but what undreamed-of English kings will they not outlive?.. A man does not plant a tree for himself; he plants it for posterity.
1907 W. C. HAZLITT English Proverbs 361 Plant pears for your heirs. A proverb which no longer holds true, since pears are now made to yield well after a few years.
1941 C. MACKENZIE Red Tapeworm xv. ‘Better to plant them promptly,’ said Miss Quekett. ‘It’s only walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs.’
Proverbs new dictionary.
Look at other dictionaries:
plant — see it is not spring until you can plant your foot upon twelve daisies walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs he who plants thorns should not expect to gather roses … Proverbs new dictionary
Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, Thematic Index — absence absence makes the heart grow fonder he who is absent is always in the wrong the best of friends must part blue are the hills that are far away distance lends enchantment to the view out of sight, out of mind … Proverbs new dictionary
tree — see as a tree falls, so shall it lie the tree is known by its fruit the apple never falls far from the tree he that would eat the fruit must climb the tree when the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you… … Proverbs new dictionary
walnut — see a woman, a dog, and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs … Proverbs new dictionary
heir — see walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs … Proverbs new dictionary
pear — see walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs … Proverbs new dictionary
