ProverbHuman Nature
English origin
English originLove and a cough cannot be hid.
Meaning: Genuine affection, like illness, inevitably reveals itself through visible signs despite attempts at concealment.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Dutch
French: Amour, toux, fumée, et argent, ne se peuvent cacher longuement (literally: Love, a cough, smoke, and money, cannot long be hid)
Spanish: Amor, tos y fuego, descúbrese luego (literally: Love, a cough and fire are discovered at once)
German: Liebe und Husten lässt sich nicht verbergen (literally: Love and a cough cannot be concealed)
Italian: Amore e tosse non si nascondono (literally: Love and a cough can't be hidden)
Dutch: Vier dingen laten zich niet verbergen: vuur, geld, hoest en liefde (literally: Four things can't be hidden: fire, money, a cough and love)
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