Scholars have identified very few proverbs and proverbial phrases in Browning's poetry. He is credited with only one by Apperson, five by Smith, three by Hodell, ten by Cook, and three by Birrell. Of these twenty-one proverbs the foregoing scholars cite sixteen as occurring in The Ring and the Book. Investigation, however, reveals that seventeen of them and ninety-five additional ones are found in that poem. Listed in the order of their appearance in The Ring and the Book, with their occurrences in Browning's other poems indicated, these one hundred twelve proverbs are:
Stung to the quick. 653.19; 831.67; Touched to the quick. 837.75; Incident of the French Camp, 333.38; Balaustion's Adventure, 565.39; Vexed to the quick. Sordello, 106.86; pierce to the quick. Pippa Passes, 185.43; cf. Apperson 642; Smith 138.