All cats are grey in the dark. Is Nazi Loot Part of It?

His Art Collection Has More Than 100,000 Pieces. Is Nazi Loot Part of It?

The daughter of an eccentric Swiss collector has asked a panel to review whether items in his collection were stolen from Jews during World War II.

大約1971-72年 東海大學某外文系的女同學跟我說類似的"格言"...... All cats are grey in the dark

The proverb, which turns on the concept that the night obscures all distinguishing features, is used in a variety of contexts.

When all candels be out, all cats be grey. All thyngs are then of one colour. [c 1549 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs i. v. A6^V]

All cattes are grey in the darke‥and therefore (good madam) you doe well to preferre the eie. [1596 T. Lodge Margarite of America H2^V]

And as in the dark all Cats are grey, the Pleasure of corporal Enjoyment with an old Woman is at least equal, and frequently superior. [1745 B. Franklin Letter 25 June in Papers (1961) III. 31]

‘If she isn't, what becomes of your explanation?’‥‘Oh, it doesn't matter; at night all cats are grey.’ [1886 H. James Princess Casamassima I. xiv.]

He braked as a cat scuttled in front of him. ‥‘Was that black?’ ‘All cats are grey in the dark,’ Tess quoted. ‘But it could have been. That's lucky.’ [1990 R. Richardson Dying of Light xi. 130]

Related to: similarity and dissimilarity

The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. Copyright © 1982, 1992, 1998, 2003, 2004 by Oxford University Press.