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never
never it is never too late to learn proverbial saying, late 17th century; a later variation of it is never too late to mend and never too old to learn.
it is never too late to mend proverbial saying, late 16th century, meaning that one can always try to improve. never is a long time proverbial saying, late 14th century, often used to indicate that circumstances may ultimately change. (Compare never say never below.) Never-Never in Australia, the unpopulated northern part of the Northern Territory and Queensland; the desert country of the interior of Australia, the remote outback. Recorded from the mid 19th century, the name has been variously explained as implying that one may never return from it, or will never wish to go back to it; it has also been suggested that the phrase is really a corruption of the Kamilaroi nievah vahs signifying ‘unoccupied land’. Never-Never land is an imaginary, illusory, or Utopian place, often with allusion to the ideal country in J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan. never say never modern proverbial saying, late 20th century, used as a warning against over-confidence that circumstances cannot change. (Compare never is a long time above.) never too old to learn proverbial saying, late 16th century, often used as an encouragement. you've never had it so good a phrase associated with the Conservative politician Harold Macmillan (1894–1986), referring to a speech as Prime Minister on 20 July 1957, when he said, ‘Let us be frank about it: most of our people have never had it so good.’ ‘You Never Had It So Good’ was the Democratic Party slogan during the 1952 US election campaign. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "never." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "never." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-never.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "never." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-never.html |
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never
nev·er / ˈnevər/ • adv. 1. at no time in the past or future; on no occasion; not ever: they had never been camping in their lives | I will never ever forget it. 2. not at all: he never turned up. PHRASES: never fear see fear. never mind see mind. never say die see die1 . well I never! inf. expressing great surprise or indignation: Well I never—that's not like you! |
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"never." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "never." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-never.html "never." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-never.html |
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never
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "never." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "never." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-never.html T. F. HOAD. "never." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-never.html |
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never
never •cadaver, slaver
•halva, salver, salvor
•balaclava, Bratislava, carver, cassava, Costa Brava, guava, Java, kava, larva, lava, palaver
•woodcarver
•clever, endeavour (US endeavor), ever, forever, however, howsoever, never, never-never, sever, Trevor, whatever, whatsoever, whenever, whensoever, wheresoever, wherever, whichever, whichsoever, whoever, whomever, whomsoever, whosoever
•delver, elver
•Denver
•Ava, caver, craver, deva, engraver, enslaver, favour (US favor), flavour (US flavor), graver, haver, laver, paver, quaver, raver, saver, savour (US savor), shaver, vena cava, waiver, waver
•lifesaver • semiquaver
•achiever, beaver, believer, cleaver, deceiver, diva, Eva, fever, Geneva, griever, heaver, leaver, lever, Neva, perceiver, receiver, reiver, reliever, retriever, Shiva, underachiever, viva, weaver, weever
•cantilever
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Cite this article
"never." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "never." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-never.html "never." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-never.html |
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