proverb · Source-linked selection
If you regard old saws, mind, thus they say, 'Tis bad to marry in the month of May.
If you regard old saws, mind, thus they say, 'Tis bad to marry in the month of May.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying warns against marrying in May because older sayings call it unlucky. Its appeal to inherited words is not evidence that the month harms a relationship.
What the words are saying
Old saws are invoked to make the warning seem authoritative. A critical reading notices that the reason offered is tradition rather than the couple’s actual circumstances. A useful discussion considers consent, understanding and practical arrangements instead of treating a calendar superstition as decisive. Respect for old language need not mean adopting its prediction.
Everyday example
Partners choose a date suited to their circumstances rather than allowing an unsupported unlucky-month claim to decide for them.
When to use it
Use it to examine inherited authority in a calendar superstition.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
The month is not established as a cause of marital success or failure.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1040 · Marry
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English