Every man will shoot at the enemy, but few will go to fetch the shaft.
Meaning: Courage in battle is common; the difficult work of recovery and preparation afterward separates committed warriors from casual participants.
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.
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