If a man once fall, all will tread on him.
Meaning: Misfortune invites exploitation; those already disadvantaged face renewed abuse from others.
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 Challenge
- The first blow is half the battle. — Taking decisive initial action often determines victory more than prolonged struggle afte…
- Fire and water are good servants but bad masters. — Both elements prove invaluable when controlled but destructive when allowed to dominate u…
- Well may he smell of fire whose gown burneth. — A person reeking of smoke has demonstrably experienced flames, so visible consequences pr…
- It's good fishing in troubled waters. — Exploiting chaos and confusion allows cunning people to gain unfair advantages over other…
- It is one thing to flourish and another to fight. — Thriving requires different skills than defending oneself; prosperity and conflict demand…
- What God will, no frost can kill. — Divine purpose transcends natural destruction; what's meant to survive will endure despit…
From our untranslatable words
- Drachenfutter — A peace-offering gift brought home to a partner after staying out too late or doing somet…
- Verschlimmbessern — To make something worse in a well-intentioned attempt to improve it.
- Sturmfrei — The liberating feeling of having the house entirely to yourself — when parents or a partn…