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Moutons

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Revenons à nos moutons. Return we to our subject. The phrase is taken from an old French play, called LʹAvocat, by Patelin, in which a woollen-draper charges a shepherd with stealing sheep. In telling his grievance he kept for ever running away from his subject; and to throw discredit on the defendant’s attorney, accused him of stealing a piece of cloth. The judge had to pull him up every moment with, “Mais, mon ami, revenons à nos moutons” (What about the sheep, tell me about the sheep, now return to the story of the sheep).

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Mountebank
Mourning
Mournival
Mouse
Mouse, Mousie
Mouse Tower (The)
Moussa
Moussali
Mouth
Mouth Waters
Moutons
Movable
Moving the Adjournment of the House
Moving the Previous Question
Moving the World
Mow, a heap, and Mow
Mowis
Mozaide
Much or Mudge
Much Ado about Nothing
Muciana Cautio

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Bacchus [wine]
Muttons
Revenons à nos Moutons