In the coldest flint there is hot fire.
Meaning: Even the hardest, most unyielding hearts harbor warmth and potential for compassion within.
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
- It's an ill battle where the devil carries the colours. — When evil forces lead the fight, victory itself becomes a moral defeat for all sides invo…
- It's good to have company in trouble. — Shared hardship becomes more bearable through mutual support and the comfort of knowing y…
- They complain wrongfully of the sea, who twice suffer shipwreck. — Repeated misfortune from the same cause reveals poor judgment rather than bad luck.
- He that will not be counselled cannot be helped. — Resistance to advice ensures problems persist; help requires receptiveness to guidance.
- He covers me with his wings, and bites me with his bill. — A protector may simultaneously harm you through the very closeness required to defend you.
- A crooked tree will have a crooked shadow. — Flawed character inevitably produces flawed outcomes, just as a tree's deformity cannot c…
From our tongue twisters
- 東京特許許可局 (Tōkyō tokkyo kyokakyoku) — A machine-gun of 'kyo' / 'kyoku' sounds.
- Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cents cyprès. — An 's' / 'si' minefield.
- 赤パジャマ黄パジャマ茶パジャマ (Aka pajama, ki pajama, cha pajama) — A rapid-fire drill on colour words; the syllable shift from aka/ki/cha trips the tongue b…