Ancient Chinese proverbs and other sayings as retold by Sir Dickon

 Old Sayings...

We continue our series of tales from Sir Dickon, a 14^th Century Knight of the Realm, magically transported to the 21^st Century to become a modern-day life coach.

Do you ever wonder where ‘old fashioned sayings’ come from? 

I’ve tested out some on Sir Dickon, to find out if they were the same in the Middle Ages? It turns out that over the centuries the sayings have lost some of their original context.  

For example

21^st C – There’s no use crying over spilt milk.

14^th C – There’s no use crying over spilt milk, but you may weep silently over spilt beer.

21^st C - Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself.

14^th C - Don’t keep a dog and bark yourself – unless you are doing your best Scooby Doo's ancestor impression.

21^st C - Actions speak louder than words.

14^th C – Actions speak louder than words, especially when you’ve been eating beans.

21^st C - Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

The last one didn’t exist in the Middle Ages. When you could die in a multitude of hideous ways such as disease, being stoned to death, burnt at the stake or hung drawn and quartered. Getting through the day with just a poke in the eye with a stick was an absolute luxury.