Was used to be said of any business not going on according to expectation; or from persons indulging hopes of advantage from ill-concerted or ill-matured projects, not likely to be successful; but rather «ad morem Mandrabuli», to become every day worse. It may be applied to those "who expect that age will perform the promises of youth; and that the deficiencies of the present day will be supplied by the morrow:" but who will most likely be disappointed.
Who Mandrabulus was is not known, but it is recorded of him, that having found a considerable treasure, in the fullness of his heart he presented at the altar of Juno a golden ram, meaning to make a similar offering every year; but repenting, as it would seem, of his liberality, the next year he offered only a ram of silver; and the following year, one of brass; and hence, that is, from the gift offered at the shrine of the goddess, having been thus every year lessened in its value, proceeds the proverb.

With the utmost exertion of our hands and feet, or with tooth and nail, as we say. «Nervis omnibus», straining every nerve, exerting our utmost power or ability to effect the purpose; «Remis velisque», pushing it on with oars and sails; «Omnem movere lapidem», leaving no stone unturned, to discover what we are in search for, are forms of speech used by the Romans, which have been adopted by us, and are therefore here admitted; as may be also «Toto pectore», with our whole soul, loving or hating any one. These are all, and indeed many more similar expressions, treated of by Erasmus as distinct proverbs; but it was thought to be better to bring them together here, in this manner.
It may not be amiss, once for all, to observe, that I have not confined myself to the sense given by Erasmus to many of the adages. As I have frequently passed over very long disquisitions, when they appeared to me not suitable to the present state of literature, or of the times; so on the other hand, I have sometimes expatiated largely, where he has given the exposition in two or three lines. Another considerable difference is, that here are introduced many corresponding adages, in the French, Italian, Spanish, and English languages, none of which are to be found in his book. It is singular, Jortin remarks, that though Erasmus spent a large part of his time in France, Italy and England, it does not appear that he was ever able to converse in any of those languages; or perhaps to read the productions of any of the writers in those countries, excepting such as were written in Latin; which, as a language in general use, appears to have been adopted by most of the literati down to his time; excepting perhaps by the Italians, whose language had attained a higher degree of polish and perfection than any of the others.

Desist, leave off correcting and amending, «Nimia cura detent magis quam emendat», too much care may injure instead of improving your work. You should therefore let well alone. Apelles, seeing Protogenes with too much care and anxiety, labouring to give a complete finishing to a picture, which he had already made extremely beautiful, fearful lest by such frequent touching, and retouching, he should diminish, instead of heightening its value, cried out "manum de tabula". The adage is of extensive application, being referable to every kind of work, among others, to this of explaining proverbs, which too much labour, instead of elucidating, may render obscure.

Are Latin phrases used to express the most perfect supineness and indifference on any subject, and which we have adopted: I would not give a turn of my hand, or hold out a finger to obtain it, or, I value not a straw what such a person may say of me, or, there is not the turn of a straw difference between them.

Una mano lava la otra. One good turn deserves another. But this phrase is more commonly applied where two persons bespatter each other with fulsome and undeserved compliments. Scratch my beech, and I will claw your elbow.