no rest for the wicked
English
Etymology
From the Book of Isaiah verses 48:22 and 57:20-21, originally Hebrew. First attested in English in 1535, in Coverdale Bible of Miles Coverdale.[1] Quoted in biblical sense for centuries, humorous secular sense popularized from 1930s, particularly due to use as title of popular Little Orphan Annie strip by Harold Gray in 1933.[1]
Proverb
Usage notes
Primarily used today for mild comic effect,[1] meaning “one must work (particularly because one has been lax)”, as in Annie usage.
Translations
people who are wicked must work harder
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References
- “No rest for the wicked” in Gary Martin, The Phrase Finder, 1997–, retrieved 26 February 2017.
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