# What is the Origin of "\_\_\_ \_\_\_\_ Does Not a \_\_\_\_ Make"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-___-____-does-not-a-____-make/425850>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2007, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-___-____-does-not-a-____-make/425850 "2007-11-09T23:45:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 10

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**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\
**Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-___-____-does-not-a-____-make/425850/10 "2007-11-10T05:53:00Z")

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One of the best-known examples is from Richard Lovelace, a 17th-century poet: “Stone walls do not a prison make / nor iron bars a cage”. Here’s [the original](http://www.bartleby.com/101/348.html).

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