The Vermin only teaze and pinch Their Foes superior by an Inch. So Nat'ralists observe, a Flea Hath smaller Fleas that on him prey, And these have smaller Fleas to bite 'em, And so proceed ad infinitum.
[1733 Swift Poems II. 651]
Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum. And the great fleas themselves, in turn, have greater fleas to go on; While these again have greater still, and greater still, and so on.
[1872 A. De morgan Budget of Paradoxes 377]
There will be a long article in the Sunday Chronicle‥and I'm afraid the Sunday Grub has got onto the story as well. Big fleas and little fleas, you know—.
[1979 R. Barnard Posthumous Papers ii.]
They [CERN scientists] would identify another lacuna in our knowledge which would require even bigger and better facilities to decide whether it could or could not be explained. ‘Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, and little fleas have lesser fleas and so ad infinitum.’
[2001 Times 22 Dec. 19]
Related to: associates; great and small
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
