want must be one's master

English

Phrase

want must be one's master

  1. (UK, dated) One’s desire will not be satisfied; one must continue to want.
    • 1870, John Payne Collier, The Tragical Comedy of Punch and Judy:
      JUDY, (within) Well! what do you want, Mr. Punch? PUNCH. Come up stairs: I want you. JUDY. Then want must be your master. I'm busy.
    • 1906, E. Nesbit, The Story of the Amulet:
      The market was brighter than you would think anything could be. There were stalls for everything you could possibly want—and for a great many things that if you wanted here and now, want would be your master.
    • 1907, E. Nesbit, The Enchanted Castle:
      "I want the ring," said Mabel, rather mulishly. "Want"—the words came out of the still evening air—"want must be your master. You can't have the ring. I can't get it off!"
    • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:
      He wants my money and my life, though want must be his master, for some brutish empire of his. Money I haven’t.
    • 1931, Dorothy L. Sayers, The Five Red Herrings:
      “Poor fellow!” said Graham. “Want must be his master, as nurses said in the good old days before Montessori was heard of. […]”
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