Biblical Sources of Phrases in Common Use: A Fool and His Money Are Soon Parted

This phrase, "A fool and his money are soon parted," sounds biblical, but it is not.  A man named Thomas Tusser (1524 - 1580) wrote it in 1573 in his book, Five Hundreth Pointes of Good Husbandrie.  The original phrase was a line in a poem.  "A foole and his monie be soone to debate, which after with sorrow repents him too late."

Tusser was an English poet, farmer, chorister, and musician.

The idea that this is a phrase of biblical origin probably comes from Proverbs 21:20 where the wise store up their wealth but the fools gulp theirs down. (NIV)