“As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” [‘Proverbs’, chapter 26, verse 11]. It may not be a ‘proverb’ (the wise call it an ‘aphorism’) and it certainly does not translate into clear meaning or human application, but it is neither ‘completely wrong’ nor ‘completely right’: it just is human vomit up for grabs by any old dog.

Let’s clear up the right to name this well known verse of the Bible a proverb, first, though it appears more correct to call it an aphorism. Traditionally we make contradistinction between the forms of ‘saying’ known as aphorism and proverb respectively by thinking of proverbs as saying something wise or true (it is not … More “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.” [‘Proverbs’, chapter 26, verse 11]. It may not be a ‘proverb’ (the wise call it an ‘aphorism’) and it certainly does not translate into clear meaning or human application, but it is neither ‘completely wrong’ nor ‘completely right’: it just is human vomit up for grabs by any old dog.