
ProverbWisdom
English 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.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- 八百标兵奔北坡,炮兵并排北边跑。(Bābǎi biāobīng bēn běipō, pàobīng bìngpái běibian pǎo.) A pure b-versus-p drill, separating Mandarin's unaspirated b from its aspirated p.
- O peito do pé de Pedro é preto. Five 'p' words in a row, with the vowels shifting underneath each one.
- A aranha arranha a rã. A rã arranha a aranha. Contrasts the soft single r of aranha against the hard rolled rr of arranha — one letter…
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