ProverbChallenge
Italian origin
Italian originLa necessità aguzza l'ingegno
Meaning: Difficult situations push people to find clever solutions.
Literally: Necessity sharpens the wits
Example: “Senza soldi per i giocattoli, i bambini ne hanno costruiti con il cartone: la necessità aguzza l'ingegno.” — With no money for toys, the children built their own from cardboard: necessity is the mother of invention.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 4 more languages
English: Necessity is the mother of invention
French: Nécessité est mère d'invention (literally: Necessity is the mother of invention)
Spanish: La necesidad es la madre de la invención (literally: Necessity is the mother of invention)
Japanese: 必要は発明の母 (Hitsuyō wa hatsumei no haha) (literally: Necessity is the mother of invention)
German: Not macht erfinderisch (literally: Need makes one inventive)
Portuguese: A necessidade aguça o engenho (literally: Necessity sharpens the wits)
Dutch: De nood maakt vindingrijk (literally: Need makes one inventive)
Russian: Голь на выдумки хитра (Gol' na vydumki khitra) (literally: The poor are clever at inventing)
Polish: Potrzeba matką wynalazków (literally: Need is the mother of inventions)
Origin: Need is pictured as a whetstone that sharpens the mind (aguzzare, to sharpen to a point).
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