---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I make a wonderful cure-all called Four…"
description: "\"I make a wonderful cure-all called Four Thieves, just like my mum did. It's cider vinegar, 36 cloves of garlic and four herbs, representing four looter..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/paul-o-grady-15035_burning_i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four_1290399.png"
---

#  I make a wonderful cure-all called Four Thieves, just like…

![“I make a wonderful cure-all called Four Thieves, just like my mum did. It's cider vinegar, 36 cloves of garlic and four herbs, representing four looters of plague victims' homes in 1665 who had their sentences reduced from burning at the stake to hanging for explaining the recipe that kept them…” quote by Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/paul-o-grady-15035_burning_i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four_1290399.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/paul-o-grady-15035_burning_i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four_1290399.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/paul-o-grady-15035_burning_i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four_1290399.png)

> “I make a wonderful cure-all called Four Thieves, just like my mum did. It's cider vinegar, 36 cloves of garlic and four herbs, representing four looters of plague victims' homes in 1665 who had their sentences reduced from burning at the stake to hanging for explaining the recipe that kept them from catching the plague.”

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A folk remedy called Four Thieves was claimed to protect against plague, mixing vinegar, garlic, and herbs, linked to a legend of thieves spared execution for sharing it.

**In simple terms:** A historic cure‑all recipe linked to a plague legend.

Key Takeaway

Consider traditional knowledge critically.

Themes

history folk medicine plague myth survival

Mood

curious reflective

Type

historical educational

When to use this quote

- researching historical remedies
- educating about folklore
- examining myth vs science

Key Concepts

herbalism epidemiology social stigma

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this story reveal about fear during pandemics?
- How can we balance respect for tradition with scientific rigor?

A Different Perspective

Effectiveness unproven;may promote false security.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Mum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mum/) [Plague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plague/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) [Victims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victims/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/)

## Related quotes

> [I have to have lemon and honey. I have to have apple cider vinegar, Braggs. And I have to have either Red Vines or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-have-to-have-lemon-and-honey-i-have-to-have-apple-cider-vinegar/)

[Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/)

> [I adopted a healthier diet. I take at least a tablespoon of apple-cider vinegar a day. It's an old wives' tale, but it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-etheridge/i-adopted-a-healthier-diet-i-take-at-least-a-tablespoon-of-apple/)

[Melissa Etheridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-etheridge/)

> [ Some hours after eating this dish \[lièvre à la royale, which contains 20 cloves of garlic and twice that quantity of shallots\], there is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience-gray/some-hours-after-eating-this-dish-li-vre-la-royale-which-contains-20/)

Patience Gray

> [“Holy water, a couple cloves of garlic, vials of salt, and iron fillings filled the basket, intended to be door prizes for anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/holy-water-a-couple-cloves-of-garlic-vials-of-salt-and-iron-fillings/)

[Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/)

> [“The astringent nature of apple cider vinegar helps to clear dead skin cells and keep the pores clear. The result is clearer skin that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leigh-mercree/the-astringent-nature-of-apple-cider-vinegar-helps-to-clear-dead-skin/)

[Amy Leigh Mercree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leigh-mercree/)

> [“An article published in the magazine Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry in 2009 reported that drinking diluted apple everyday for as short as 3 months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cumberland/an-article-published-in-the-magazine-bioscience-biotechnology-and/)

Steven Cumberland

> [“How To Detoxify Using Apple Cider Vinegar ACV detox Drink Always try and use organic apple cider vinegar that is raw, unprocessed and unfiltered.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apple-cider-vinegar/how-to-detoxify-using-apple-cider-vinegar-acv-detox-drink-always-try/)

Apple Cider Vinegar

> [Crazy! But the apple cider vinegar is actually healing my pregnancy induced acid reflux!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-mowry/crazy-but-the-apple-cider-vinegar-is-actually-healing-my-pregnancy/)

[Tamera Mowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-mowry/)

> [My go-to drink in the winter to fight colds and flus is about 3.4 ounces of water mixed with 2 tablespoons of apple cider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-gale/my-go-to-drink-in-the-winter-to-fight-colds-and-flus-is-about-3-4/)

[Kelly Gale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-gale/)

> [“Drinking diluted apple cider everyday will make you feel energetic and halt midday sugar cravings. It primarily keeps the digestion in good shape. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cumberland/drinking-diluted-apple-cider-everyday-will-make-you-feel-energetic/)

Steven Cumberland

> [“Take 3 ~ 4 times  in one day, the mixture of one tablespoon of honey, 2 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar and 8 ounces of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia/take-3-4-times-in-one-day-the-mixture-of-one-tablespoon-of-honey-2/)

[Sonia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia/)

> [I don't really do anything too crazy for beauty. I try to take a shot of apple cider vinegar a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordyn-woods/i-don-t-really-do-anything-too-crazy-for-beauty-i-try-to-take-a-shot/)

[Jordyn Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordyn-woods/)

> [“Gout Every single year, thousands upon thousands of people are diagnosed with, and suffer from a condition known as gout. Gout is basically a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haley/gout-every-single-year-thousands-upon-thousands-of-people-are/)

James Haley

> [“The most valuable benefit of apple cider vinegar is that it helps to restore your skin’s natural pH balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-leigh-mercree/the-most-valuable-benefit-of-apple-cider-vinegar-is-that-it-helps-to/)

[Amy Leigh Mercree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-leigh-mercree/)

> [“a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in eight ounces of water before meals can also stimulate your enzymes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akil-palanisamy/a-teaspoon-of-apple-cider-vinegar-in-eight-ounces-of-water-before/)

Akil Palanisamy

## More by Paul O'Grady

> [I go in the butchers and there's not a lot of meat I can eat these days, with having all the animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-go-in-the-butchers-and-there-s-not-a-lot-of-meat-i-can-eat-these/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [My primary school teacher once poured a bottle of curdled school milk forcefully down my throat. Then I threw it up all over her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/my-primary-school-teacher-once-poured-a-bottle-of-curdled-school-milk/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I like a Blackpool breakfast, me - 20 ciggies and a pot of tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-like-a-blackpool-breakfast-me-20-ciggies-and-a-pot-of-tea/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I like working with kids; they keep you going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-like-working-with-kids-they-keep-you-going/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I love looking after animals. I find it very enjoyable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-love-looking-after-animals-i-find-it-very-enjoyable/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I don't like awards ceremonies. I'd sooner go to the pub with mates I've known for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-don-t-like-awards-ceremonies-i-d-sooner-go-to-the-pub-with-mates-i/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [When my dog Buster died, I couldn't get over it. I was in bits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/when-my-dog-buster-died-i-couldn-t-get-over-it-i-was-in-bits/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I've frequently been asked over the years who Lily Savage was based on and I've always answered that it was no one in particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-ve-frequently-been-asked-over-the-years-who-lily-savage-was-based/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I don't want to sound like Catherine Cookson but I've worked since I was eight, with a paper round and in a fruit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-don-t-want-to-sound-like-catherine-cookson-but-i-ve-worked-since-i/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [Mum and Dad died of heart problems, my grandparents died of it, my sister has had mini strokes, my brother has had a heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/mum-and-dad-died-of-heart-problems-my-grandparents-died-of-it-my/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I was a really picky eater as a child. Because I was obsessed by Popeye, my mum and aunts would put my food in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-was-a-really-picky-eater-as-a-child-because-i-was-obsessed-by/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I dress up as a middle-aged prostitute and do a game show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-dress-up-as-a-middle-aged-prostitute-and-do-a-game-show/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [If I wanted your opinion, I'd slap it outta ya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/if-i-wanted-your-opinion-i-d-slap-it-outta-ya/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [I am quite happy to take a cut. You've got to, if you want to work and continue working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-am-quite-happy-to-take-a-cut-you-ve-got-to-if-you-want-to-work-and/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

> [Comedy, your funny bone, is formed in childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/comedy-your-funny-bone-is-formed-in-childhood/)

[Paul O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

[Explore all 44 Paul O'Grady quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/)

## More Burning quotes

> [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/)

[St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/)

> [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/)

[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

> [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [The entire cosmos is one vast burning bush, permeated by the fire of the divine power and glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kallistos-ware/the-entire-cosmos-is-one-vast-burning-bush-permeated-by-the-fire-of/)

[Kallistos Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kallistos-ware/)

> [Two beautiful women crashing and burning for the sake of the Women's Championship!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/two-beautiful-women-crashing-and-burning-for-the-sake-of-the-women-s/)

[Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/)

> [He lowered the window, and looked out at the rising sun. There was a ridge of ploughed land, with a plough upon it where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/he-lowered-the-window-and-looked-out-at-the-rising-sun-there-was-a/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Catholicity seized on man... and the mystics, transcending all, taught him to ascend on high with the wings of contemplation the Ladder of Jacob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-donoso-cortes/catholicity-seized-on-man-and-the-mystics-transcending-all-taught-him/)

Juan Donoso Cortes

> [Some fighters know when to stop on their own and go on to something else, and then some fighters have nothing to go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-hagler/some-fighters-know-when-to-stop-on-their-own-and-go-on-to-something/)

[Marvin Hagler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-hagler/)

> [Death is staring too long into the burning sun and the relief of entering a cool, dark room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/death-is-staring-too-long-into-the-burning-sun-and-the-relief-of/)

[Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/)

> [All philanthropy ... is only a savory fumigation burning at the mouth of a sewer. This incense offering makes the air more endurable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-key/all-philanthropy-is-only-a-savory-fumigation-burning-at-the-mouth-of/)

[Ellen Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-key/)

> [Time is a vindictive bandit to steal the beauty of our former selves. We are left with sagging, rippled flesh and burning gums with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael/time-is-a-vindictive-bandit-to-steal-the-beauty-of-our-former-selves/)

[Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael/)

> [One writes because one has a burning desire to objectify what it is indispensable to one's happiness to express.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/one-writes-because-one-has-a-burning-desire-to-objectify-what-it-is/)

[Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/)

> [Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast, and their fast runs too slow." Ken Mierke says. "So they're just training their bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcdougall/nearly-all-runners-do-their-slow-runs-too-fast-and-their-fast-runs/)

[Christopher McDougall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcdougall/)

> [Intense, burning desire is the motivational force that enables you to overcome any obstacle and achieve almost any goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/intense-burning-desire-is-the-motivational-force-that-enables-you-to/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Will closed his eyes. He could not hear Jem go, not anymore; he did not want to know the moment when he left and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/will-closed-his-eyes-he-could-not-hear-jem-go-not-anymore-he-did-not/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

Browse all 1,668 Burning quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I make a wonderful cure-all called Four Thieves, just like my mum did. It's cider vinegar, 36 cloves of garlic and four herbs, representing four looters of plague victims' homes in 1665 who had their sentences reduced from burning at the stake to hanging for explaining the recipe that kept them from catching the plague.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Paul O'Grady"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four-thieves-just-like-my-mum-did/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Burning"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four-thieves-just-like-my-mum-did/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/paul-o-grady-15035_burning_i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four_1290399.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/paul-o-grady-15035_burning_i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four_1290399.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87b/paul-o-grady-15035_burning_i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four_1290399.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I make a wonderful cure-all called Four Thieves, just like my mum did. It's cider vinegar, 36 cloves of…” — Paul O'Grady",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Paul O'Grady",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-o-grady/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I make a wonderful cure-all called...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four-thieves-just-like-my-mum-did/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-o-grady/i-make-a-wonderful-cure-all-called-four-thieves-just-like-my-mum-did/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
