Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007

Searching for the origin of "once bitten, twice shy" leads me to
think there was an older phrase, "once caught, twice shy" which,
maybe between 1850 and 1870, was modified to "once bit, twice shy."
I tried to add this to the current thread for that topic but was
repeatedly told (over 12 hours) the reply page wasn't available,
hence this second thread.

An 1850  sighting for "once caught, twice shy:"

http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/moa/pageviewer?frames=1&coll=moa&view=50&
root=%2Fmoa%2Fintr%2Fintr0001%2F&tif=00136.TIF&cite=http%3A%2F%2Fcdl.library.cor
nell.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fmoa%2Fmoa-cgi%3Fnotisid%3DABS5232-0001-67

Title:     The International magazine of literature, art, and science. /
Volume 1, Issue 1
Publisher:     Stringer & Townsend     Publication Date:     July 1, 1850
p. 128

"ONCE CAUGHT, TWICE SHY." -" Many
years ago," says Mr. A. Since, "I caught a
common mouse in a trap, and instead of con-
signing it to the usual watery grave or to the
unmerciful claws of the cat, I determined to
keep it a prisoner.   After a short time, the
little mouse made its escape in a room at-
tached to my father's residence in the Bank
of England.  I did not desire the presence of
a wild mouse in this room, ...I set the
trap, and baited it with a savory morsel, but
day after day no mouse entered. The poor
little thing gave unequivocal signs of extreme
hunger by gnawing the bladder from one of
my chemical bottles.  I gradually removed
everything from the room that he could pos-
sibly eat, but still the old proverb of  "Once
caught, twice shy," so far applied that he
would not enter my trap....

An 1870 (1871?) sighting of "once bit, twice shy:"

http://www.letrs.indiana.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=wright2;cc=wright2;sid=
f438d3093e3912b26b1f439a45e8f007;q1=twice%20shy;idno=Wright2-1029;view=image;seq
=0040

Title:    Blue Jackets, or, The Adventures of J. Thompson, A.B., Among
"The Heathen Chinee" (1871, 1870)
Author:    Greey, Edward,

...However, once bit twice shy, and the now-enlightened sailor
concluded to leave Tim's relations alone....

An 1873 sighting of "once bit, twice shy:"

http://www.letrs.indiana.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?type=simple;c=wright2;cc=wright
2;sid=f438d3093e3912b26b1f439a45e8f007;rgn=full%20text;q1=twice%20shy;cite1restr
ict=title;cite2restrict=title;cite3restrict=title;firstpubl1=1850;firstpubl2=187
5;submit=Submit%20search;view=reslist;idno=Wright2-0298%3C

Bierce, Ambrose (1842-1914?): The Fiend's Delight (1873) 1 match in 1
of 195 pages

     MUSINGS, PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL.
          / II.: "Once bit, twice shy," is a homely saying, but
singularly true. A man who has been swindled will be very cautious...

The OED2 has an 1887 citation:
'Once bit, twice shy' is an excellent proverb. [Graphic, 15 Jan
65/2]

This search suggests that it was a mouse getting caught once but
refusing to get caught in a trap a second time that led to the first
formulation (and by derivation, to the OP phrase).

Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego