variety is the spice of life

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | 515 words | Copyright

variety is the spice of life proverbial saying, late 18th century; originally as a quotation from the English poet William Cowper (1731–1800) in The Task (1785): ‘Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.’ An earlier version is found in the The Rover (1681) by the dramatist Aphra Behn (1640–89), ‘Variety is the soul of pleasure.’ The Greek dramatist Euripides (c.485–c.406 bc) in his Orestes has, ‘a change is always nice.’

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "variety is the spice of life." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "variety is the spice of life." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-varietyisthespiceoflife.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "variety is the spice of life." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-varietyisthespiceoflife.html

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