ProverbHuman Nature
English origin1734
English origin1734Every man has a price
Meaning: Self-interest ultimately overcomes principle when temptation or desperation grows large enough.
Origin: Usually attributed to Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister. According to a biography of 1798, what he actually said in 1734, about a group of opponents he considered pretended patriots, was narrower: "All those men have their price." The generalized version drops "those."
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Tigre contro tigre, tigre contro un'altra tigre. Pure 't/ig/re' drill — short and merciless; the double-g demands a crisp Italian stop.
- Apelle figlio di Apollo fece una palla di pelle di pollo e tutti i principi della città di Capua la palpeggiarono. A wall of 'p/ll/l/a' that seems to grow longer as you speak it faster.
- Se la serpe si avvicina alla siepe del serpente, il serpente scappa dalla siepe. A sibilant 's/se/si/sci' minefield; both words (serpe and serpente) slither through the s…
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