variety is the spice of life

Cf. [Euripides Orestes 234] μɛṯαβολή ράνṯων γλυκύ, a change is always nice.

Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour.
[1785 Cowper Task ii. 76]

Take all de wives you can get,—bariety am de spite of life.
[1854 ‘M. Langdon’ Ida May vi.]

‘Your signal is different from ours?’‥‘Variety is the spice of life,’ he retorted.
[1954 ‘M. Cost’ Invitation from Minerva 174]

‘I have prepared our annual financial statement.’‥ ‘Last year you chewed it up and swallowed it.’ ‘Variety, lads. Spice of life and all that!’
[2002 Washington Post 7 Aug. C15 (Broom Hilda comic strip)]

Related to: novelty; variety

Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.

Diversity makes life interesting, as in Jim dates a different girl every week--variety is the spice of life, he claims. This phrase comes from William Cowper's poem, "The Task" (1785): "Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor."