[M. Thiers, who was very short, used to say: “Les liqueurs précieuses se conservent dans de petits flacons” = Rich wares in small parcels.]
Savoir ce qu’en vaut l’aune = To know a thing to one’s cost.
Mesurer les autres à son aune = To measure other people’s peck by one’s own bushel.
Tout le long de l’aune = By the yard; Plenty of it.
Aurore
*Travail d’aurore amène l’or = Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
[The late H. Stacy Marks, R.A., parodied this: “Early to bed and early to rise, No use—unless you advertise.”
The German equivalent is, “Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund”—The morning hour has gold in its mouth.
This is also found in Italian: “Le ore del mattino hanno l’oro in bocca.”]
Aussitôt