To much is nouht of any maner thyng [too much of anything is nothing].
[1483 B. Burgh Cato in Archiv (1905) CXV. 313]
Well (quoth I) to muche of one thyng is not good, Leaue of this.
[1546 J. Heywood Dialogue of Proverbs ii. iv. G4V]
s.v. Manger, A man may take too much of a good thing.
[1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & English]
Fie, Miss! you said that once before; and, you know, Too much of one Thing is good for nothing.
[1738 Swift Polite Conversation i. 77]
We believe that you can have too much of a good thing—a blasphemous belief, which at one blow wrecks all the heavens that men have hoped for.
[1906 Chesterton Charles Dickens iv.]
A more modestly sized delegation‥might have spared Congress a certain ridicule. Mae West once said it was possible to have too much of a good thing and it was wonderful.
[1985 Washington Post 2 Mar. A18]
Modern liberals feel that a more tolerant society is good thing, and they are right. Yet, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
[1995 Washington Times 25 Apr. A17]
Related to: excess; good things
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
