Let the best dog leap the stile first.
Meaning: Merit should determine priority; the most capable should lead the way.
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 Wisdom
- The better the day, the better the deed. — Good fortune amplifies moral responsibility—prosperity demands virtue, not vice.
- Every bird must hatch her own egg. — Each creature bears sole responsibility for nurturing what they themselves have created o…
- One beats the bush and another catcheth the bird. — One person's labor enables another's gain, rewarding the opportunist over the worker.
- Even small birds must have meat. — The poorest among us require sustenance and dignity, not merely scraps or leftovers.
- He that bites on every weed must needs light on poison. — Indiscriminately sampling everything you encounter will eventually expose you to somethin…
- A bit in the morning is better than nothing all day. — Early action, however modest, accomplishes more than delayed grand efforts.
From our tongue twisters
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. — A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. — The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
- 간장 공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다. (Ganjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Jang gongjangjang igo, doenjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Gang gongjangjang ida.) — A 'gong/jang/gang' syllable storm — the two surnames (Jang/Gang) swap while the rest stay…