My family always said, "no rest for the wicked." When I came to Chicago, people looked at me like I was crazy when I said that, and they said it is "no rest for the weary." In looking them up online, it seems both have some veracity. I guess they are separate sayings?

This Blog had an interesting perspective that the "no rest for the weary" is the working class variation? I doubt that since one couldn't come from more of a working class family than I did.

I've only come across "no rest for the wicked". A "weary" variant seems like an eggcorn to me.

Well, most people in my neck of the woods say "weary," and many of them are from quite cultured backgrounds.

weary / wicked

I'd guess that it is a regional difference as Kalleh suggested. It probably started as a euphemism so as not to mention "wicked". The saying may go back to the Old Testament: Isiah 57:21, "[There is] no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." According to what I googled up, there are other candidates.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zmježd,

Things were so bad rest-wise in colonial America that the residents of what is now Kingston, RI, named their village Little Rest.

I've heard it both ways. I suspect "wicked" is the earlier, being Old Testiment-derived, as Z says. If you're Julian Assange it's "No rest for the Wiki."

I've heard both, but usually say "wicked" just because I like the word. Also, I like this song.

Cool song, caterwauler. First time I heard it, & this thread is my first encounter with "no rest for the wicked." I always thought "no rest for the weary" made perfect sense, but w/the Biblical quote ('peace' instead of 'rest') it makes sense the other way too.

EVERYBODY'S wrong. It should be "no rest for the married."

Interesting video, CW!

Bethree, I have always been teased for saying "no rest for the wicked," so I thought my mom had just embellished it, as she did with a number of phrases. However, I see that's not the case.