Once a year butter is in the cow's horn.
Meaning: Even the poorest circumstances offer occasional abundance if you wait long enough for fortune's natural cycles.
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
- He knows on which side his bread is buttered. — Self-interest guides his loyalty; he cultivates favor with those who benefit him most.
- Do not buy a pig in a poke. — Inspecting merchandise before purchase prevents you from paying for defective or worthles…
- Let the buyer look out for himself. — Purchasers bear responsibility for inspecting goods carefully before buying, not sellers…
- Calm weather in June sets corn in tune. — Settled conditions in early summer allow corn to establish strong roots and flourish thro…
- On Candlemas day throw candle and candle-stick away. — After winter's darkest stretch passes, discard what sustained you through scarcity; abund…
- Be captain of your own ship. — Assume responsibility for directing your life's course rather than passively accepting ot…
From our tongue twisters
- 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…
- 坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた (Bōzu ga byōbu ni jōzu ni bōzu no e o kaita) — A sustained 'b' and long-vowel drill — bōzu/byōbu/jōzu demand precise mouth control.
- 隣の客はよく柿食う客だ (Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da) — A tricky spiral on ka/ki/ku that accelerates as you try to keep the syllables distinct.