He must needs swim that's held up by the chin.
Meaning: Desperation forces you to learn survival skills you'd never develop in safety or comfort.
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 Wisdom
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- All are not thieves that dogs bark at. — Not everyone accused or suspected deserves condemnation; accusations alone don't prove gu…
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