Of ALL and of all commend me to Ball, for by licking the dishes he saved me much labor

Insights

Value in the Overlooked

This proverb celebrates humble, often overlooked contributions. Ball, likely a dog, performs a minor yet helpful task—suggesting that usefulness and loyalty matter more than status or grandeur.

Unlikely Gratitude

It metaphorically elevates unexpected sources of aid. The saying implies that we may end up being most grateful to those we least expect to help us—whether human or animal.

Service Over Splendor

By comparing all people and things and favoring the one who lightens the load, the proverb subtly critiques vanity and self-importance, extolling practical service instead.

Domestic Humor and Folk Wisdom

This light-hearted proverb reflects rural or domestic humor, likely drawing from real-life kitchen routines where dogs were common helpers. It shows how wit and affection coexisted in folk culture.

Subversion of Social Hierarchy

Praising a dog above all people humorously undercuts social pretensions. Inverting hierarchy, it grants highest esteem to the lowliest companion—a gesture of egalitarian spirit.

Pre-industrial Economy of Labor

In historical contexts where labor-saving devices were absent, even a dog licking dishes had functional value. The proverb recognizes labor as precious, even when minimized in comical ways.

Rhetorical Devices

Rhyme and Rhythm

The internal rhyme ('of all… to Ball') and sing-song cadence give the line a jovial, mnemonic quality—typical of orally transmitted proverbs or folk rhymes.

Irony

There’s a gentle irony in elevating Ball’s dish-licking to a commendable act, subtly mocking more pompous forms of praise and re-centering value on the helpful and simple.

Personification

By commending Ball as one would a human, the proverb personifies the dog, expressing affection and suggesting emotional intelligence in animals.