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Beggars can't not be choosers

Posted by Victoria S Dennis on October 31, 2008 at 15:24

In Reply to: Beggars can't not be choosers posted by Jae-Seung Lee on October 31, 2008 at 14:52:

: I wonder about the origin of "Beggars can't not be choosers", but I can't find that. So, could you tell about the orgin of "beggars can't not be chooosers" as soon as possible?

: Thank you!

The reason you can't find it is that "Beggars can't not be choosers" isn't a saying! The proverb is the opposite - "Beggars can't be choosers" (meaning, obviously, that they have to take what they're given and count themselves lucky to get anything at all). It's not a quotation by anybody famous, simply an old proverb, first recorded in 1546: "Folke saie alwaie, beggars should be no choosers". (VSD)

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