He who is not handsome at twenty, nor strong at thirty, nor wise at forty, nor rich at fifty, will never be handsome, strong, rich, or wise.
Meaning: Life's critical windows for developing key attributes close progressively; missing them makes future acquisition nearly impossible.
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 man never surfeits of too much honesty. — Excessive truthfulness never harms one's character or relationships the way other excesse…
- Tis an ill horse will not carry his own provender. — A creature unwilling to support itself through its own labor proves fundamentally defecti…
- Wishers and woulders are never good householders. — Those who merely desire change without acting lack the discipline and responsibility need…
- A noble housekeeper needs no doors. — Trustworthy character makes locks unnecessary; integrity itself secures what matters most.
- Hunger makes hard bones sweet beans. — Desperation transforms what we'd normally reject into something we gratefully accept.
- Be a good husband, and you will get a penny to spend, a penny to lend, and a penny for a friend. — Prudent household management creates surplus wealth to share generously with others while…
From our idioms
- de vez em nunca — very rarely; almost never.
- cuspir no prato que comeu — to betray or show ingratitude toward someone who has helped you.
- arrastar pela lama — to publicly humiliate or damage someone's reputation.