"Pride feels no cold"

[Garson O'Toole]

Thanks to Joel for pointing out this interesting proverb. "Pride feels
no cold" might be classed together with 'Pride feels no pain" which is
listed in the online Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (2009 editor
Jennifer Speake). Here are the first three citations. The 1614 cite
suggests the mechanism by which the variant might have been
constructed:

Pride feels no pain

1614 T. Adams Devil's Banquet II. 73 Pride is neuer without her own
paine, though shee will not feele it: be her garments what they will,
yet she will neuer be too hot, nor too colde.

1631 Jonson New Inn II. i. Thou must make shift with it. Pride feeles
no pain. Girt thee hard, Pru.

1721 J. Kelly Scottish Proverbs 277 Pride finds no cold. Spoken..to
Beaus [fops] with their open Breasts, and Ladies with their
extravagant Hoops [hooped skirts].

I do not think that the Yale Book of Quotations contains this proverb.
It did not appear in a search using the term "pride".

The fun variant "Pride feels no Frost" appears in 1732 in a volume in
Google Books.

Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs:
http://books.google.com/books?id=3y8JAAAAQAAJ&q=pride+feels#v=snippet&

Garson

On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 7:35 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      "Pride feels no cold"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Having encountered "pride feels no cold" in a 1722 tract, and
> sinfully not yet having the YBQ at home, I Googled Books for anything
> earlier.  To my pleasure I was told "No results found for 'pride
> feels no cold'."  (No verse intended.)
>
> Below that is the usual "Results for pride feels no cold (without
> quotes):", where the very first work listed is 1683, and contains
> "their own foolish Pro. verb Fride feels no cold':" !
>
> Who would'a thought?
>
> (Interestingly, my 1722 passage has similarities to the 1683
> text.  The 1683 text is:
>
> And however our Gallants hope to keep themselves warm, and to shelter
> their sin under the skreen of their own foolish Pro. verb Fride feels
> no cold': yet God.has oftentimes made their fin to become their punishment, ...
>
> The 1722 text is:
>
> I am apt to think, that our Hoop Gallants find not sufficient Warmth
> under the Skreen of their foolish Proverb (Pride feels no Cold) in
> some Seasons.
>
> A "hoop-gallant" is a woman who shows off in a hoop skirt, and the
> writer thinks wearing hoop skirts is sinful.)
>
> Joel
>
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