85% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
Documented English proverb, first recorded in John Heywood's proverb collection "A Dialogue Containing the Number in Effect of All the Proverbs in the English Tongue" (1546); in continuous use in English proverb collections since.
Sources checked
idiomorigins.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 20 August 2026Traces earliest English recording to Heywood 1546
Nothing made from these words yet — Storyfaire is where they get made.