Good to begin well; better to end well.
Meaning: Sustained effort matters more than initial enthusiasm; completion demonstrates true commitment.
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
- Bend the twig while it is young. — Early correction of a child's character or habits proves far more effective than attempti…
- Do as you are bidden and you'll never be to blame. — Obedience absolves you from responsibility when following orders, shielding you from crit…
- If you cannot bite, never show your teeth. — Avoid displaying aggression or capability you lack; empty threats invite challenge and ri…
- He that is born to be hanged shall never be drowned. — Destiny determines how we meet our end; those fated for one doom escape all others.
- Burn not your candle at both ends at once. — Depleting your resources simultaneously from opposite directions ensures swift exhaustion…
- I'll keep no more cats than will catch mice. — Maintaining only productive resources prevents waste and ensures efficiency in managing y…
From our tongue twisters
- O papa papava o papo do pipo; o pipo papava o papo do papa. — A perfectly palindromic 'p' construction that reverses meaning when you swap the nouns.
- На дворе трава, на траве дрова. (Na dvore trava, na trave drova.) — A short but nasty 'tr/dr' blend — the consonant clusters that trip up every learner of Ru…
- Шла Саша по шоссе и сосала сушку. (Shla Sasha po shosse i sosala sushku.) — A merciless 'sh/s/ss' collision — Sasha walking, sucking, and all those sibilants.