He would not lend his knife to the devil to stab himself.
Meaning: Even the self-interested refuse to enable their own destruction, showing that survival instinct transcends all other considerations.
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
- Little boats must keep the shore. — Small vessels risk capsizing in deep waters; the weak survive by avoiding dangerous expos…
- The longest day must have an end. — Even the most difficult or lengthy struggles will eventually conclude if you endure.
- Never leave a friend in the lurch. — Abandoning someone who depends on you damages trust and reveals your character's weakness…
- The master's eye does more work than his hands. — Vigilant oversight and attention accomplish more than physical labor alone.
- Medlars are never good till they be rotten. — Unpleasant external conditions sometimes precede inner ripeness; patience reveals hidden…
- Time and straw make medlars ripe. — Patience and neglect accomplish what effort cannot; some things require only waiting.
From our tongue twisters
- Didon dîna, dit-on, du dos d'un dodu dindon dont le dodu dos dodine. — A 'd' / 'din' / 'dod' avalanche that seems designed to jam the tongue in third gear.
- Zehn zahme Ziegen ziehen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zoo. — A sustained 'z' / 'ts' drill — every word starts with the same affricate.
- Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. — Fliegen means 'flies' (insects), 'to fly', and 'flying' — all at once, relentlessly.