Get thy spindle and thy distaff ready, and God will send thee flax.
Meaning: Prepare your tools and skills; opportunity arrives only for those already equipped to seize it.
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 Perseverance
- A May flood never did good. — Spring floods destroy crops and infrastructure before harvest, making their destructive p…
- No one is a fool always; every one sometimes. — Foolish moments afflict everyone regardless of wisdom, so judge people by patterns, not i…
- Forecast is better than work hard. — Planning and foresight prevent wasted effort more effectively than mere diligent labor wi…
- A friend is not so soon gotten as lost. — Friendship requires sustained care; neglect destroys bonds far more quickly than effort b…
- He loseth nothing who keeps God for his friend. — Divine friendship guarantees ultimate gain despite earthly losses, since God's favor tran…
- Make not thy friend too cheap to thee, nor thyself to thy friend. — Maintain mutual respect in friendship by valuing both your friend's worth and your own di…
From our idioms
- arrimar el ascua a su sardina — To arrange matters selfishly in one's own favor; to look out for oneself at others' expen…
- contante y sonante — Money in ready cash; actual payment rather than promises or credit.
- lobo con piel de cordero — A person who appears harmless or trustworthy but is actually dangerous or deceitful.