When one door shuts, another opens

Posted by ESC on August 09, 2003

In Reply to: God never shuts one door but he opens another posted by Ste on August 09, 2003

: Hello! I'm doing my degree thesis on italian/English proverbs and I need your help!
: What is the origin of "God never shuts one door but he opens another"
: Thank you very much!
: Kisses
: Ste.

WHEN ONE DOOR SHUTS, ANOTHER OPENS - 1586 D. Rowland tr. "Lazarillo" D3v. "This proverbe was fulfld, when one doore is shut the other openeth." 1620 T. Shelton tr. Cervantes' "Don Quixote" III. Vii. "Where one door is shut another is opened."

The first citation in this reference where God appears is: 1925 S. O'Casey "Juno & Paycock" I. 16 " 'The job couldn't come at a betther time.'. 'Ah, God never shut wan door but he opened another.'"

From "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs" by John Simpson and Jennifer Speake (Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York, Third Edition, 1998). Page 205.

There are a couple of other citations but I gave you the main ones. The misspellings are from the text. (Like "betther.")