the cat would eat fish, but would not wet her feet
- the cat would eat fish, but would not wet her feet
Cf. medieval L. catus amat piscem, sed non vult tingere plantas, the cat loves a fish, but does not wish to wet its feet.
c 1225 in Englische Studien (1902) XXXI. 7 Cat lufat visch, ac he nele his feth wete.
c 1380 CHAUCER House of Fame III. 1783 For ye be lyke the sweynte [tired] cat That wolde have fissh; but wostow [do you know] what? He wolde nothing wete his clowes.
c 1549 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs i. xi. B8v But you lust not to do, that longeth therto. The cat would eate fyshe, and wold not wet her feete.
1605–6 SHAKESPEARE Macbeth I. vii. 44 Letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would’, Like the poor cat i’ th’ adage.
1732 T. FULLER Gnomologia no. 6130 Fain would the Cat Fish eat, but she’s loth her Feet to wet.
1928 Sphere 7 Jan. 36 ‘The cat would fain eat fish, but would not wet his feet.’.. In modern days one might paraphrase it into ‘bad sailors would fain enjoy the sun, but would not cross the channel’.
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