ProverbWisdomEnglish origin

He giveth one knock on the hoop, and another on the barrel.

Meaning: Inconsistent effort—striking at two separate tasks prevents mastery or completion of either.

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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