Proverb Question

[Baker, John]

        I'm not sure what distinction you are making here.  "[A] chain .
. . is never stronger than its weakest link" doesn't work for you?  Is
the problem the words interjected between "chain" and "is," or the use
of "never" rather than "no"?


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Fred Shapiro
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2005 7:25 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Proverb Question

On Thu, 10 Nov 2005, Baker, John wrote:

>         "The mutual dependence of merchants is so great, that their
> engagements like a chain, which, according to the Law of Physics is
> never stronger than its weakest link, are oftener broke through the
> weakness of others than their own."  Edwin Freedley, A Practical
> Treatise on Business 196 (1852 copyright, 1853 on title page) (via
> Making of America).

Thanks very much for this, but what I was looking for was pre-1861
evidence for the exact wording "a chain is no stronger than its weakest
link."

Fred Shapiro


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