ProverbHuman Nature
English origin1759
English origin1759Every man has his hobby-horse.
Meaning: Everyone pursues their own passionate interests regardless of how peculiar others might find them.
Origin: A hobby-horse was a child's toy horse, and riding one came to mean pursuing a favorite pastime or obsession. Laurence Sterne made the idea famous in Tristram Shandy (1759–67), where the retired soldier Uncle Toby rides his hobby-horse of military fortifications.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Il faut tourner sept fois sa langue dans sa bouche avant de parler Think carefully before you speak.
- En avoir gros sur le cœur To be full of unspoken hurt or resentment.
- En son for intérieur In one's heart of hearts; in private conscience.
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