A bow long bent at last waxeth weak.
Meaning: Continuous strain without rest eventually exhausts even the strongest resources or people.
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.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- The brain that sows not corn, plants thistles. — Idleness breeds destructive habits; a mind unused for constructive purpose defaults to ha…
- He who would have a hare for breakfast must hunt over night. — Success requires preparation and effort before the moment of need arrives.
- Brevity is the soul of wit. — Sharp minds compress meaning into few words; excess dulls the blade of cleverness.
- As you brew, so shall you bake. — Careless preparation in one step inevitably ruins the final product, however carefully yo…
- There is no deceit in a brimmer. — A full cup offered openly invites honest scrutiny and leaves no room for hidden dealings…
- A broken leg is not healed by a silk stocking. — Expensive remedies cannot substitute for proper treatment of fundamental problems.
From our tongue twisters
- От топота копыт пыль по полю летит. (Ot topota kopyt pyl po polyu letit.) — A 'p/t' hammering that imitates the hoofbeats it describes.
- Четыре чёрненьких чумазеньких чертёнка чертили чёрными чернилами чертёж. (Chetyre chyornenkikh chumazenkikh chertyonka chertili chyornymi chernilami chertyozh.) — Seven consecutive words built on 'ch' — Russian's ч in every stressed position with barel…
- 红鲤鱼与绿鲤鱼与驴 (Hóng lǐyú yǔ lǜ lǐyú yǔ lǘ) — lǐ, lǜ and lǘ differ only by vowel rounding and tone — nine syllables that all collapse t…