TheParser
VIP Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2009
- Member Type
- Other
- Native Language
- English
- Home Country
- United States
- Current Location
- United States
Yesterday I suddenly decided that I wanted to know the grammatical explanation for "better late than never."
I am delighted to share my findings with interested members.
One source * said that maybe it is translated from Latin:
"It is better to do something late than to never do it at all."
Another source ** said that the complete sentence is:
"It is better to do well late than it is good to do well never."
A third source *** says that Chaucer (in about the year 1386) may have been the first person to use this saying in
print: "For bet than never is late."
*****
In my 75 years of life, I had never before thought about this matter. Well, better late than never.
*****
* Google "Better late than never Wiktionary."
** Google "Better late than never Key to the Questions Contained in Revised English Grammar" and then click on the "books" section.
*** Google "Better late than never The Phrase Finder."
P.S. Professor Quirk calls this expression and similar ones "aphoristic sentences." He gives his views on pages 843 - 844 in the 1985 edition of A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language.
I am delighted to share my findings with interested members.
One source * said that maybe it is translated from Latin:
"It is better to do something late than to never do it at all."
Another source ** said that the complete sentence is:
"It is better to do well late than it is good to do well never."
A third source *** says that Chaucer (in about the year 1386) may have been the first person to use this saying in
print: "For bet than never is late."
*****
In my 75 years of life, I had never before thought about this matter. Well, better late than never.
*****
* Google "Better late than never Wiktionary."
** Google "Better late than never Key to the Questions Contained in Revised English Grammar" and then click on the "books" section.
*** Google "Better late than never The Phrase Finder."
P.S. Professor Quirk calls this expression and similar ones "aphoristic sentences." He gives his views on pages 843 - 844 in the 1985 edition of A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language.
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