Opportunity knocks but once
Meaning: Chances don't come twice; seize them when they appear.
Origin: The idea is ancient: the Latin writer Publilius Syrus observed that opportunity is seldom offered and easily lost. Early English versions speak of fortune knocking rather than opportunity, and the "opportunity" wording dates from the late 19th century. John Dos Passos used "opportunity knocks but once" in his novel The 42nd Parallel (1930).
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: L'occasion ne se présente qu'une fois (literally: Opportunity presents itself only once)
- Spanish: La oportunidad llama solo una vez (literally: Opportunity knocks only once)
- Japanese: 好機は二度と来ない (Kōki wa nido to konai) (literally: Good opportunity does not come twice)
- German: Man muss die Gelegenheit beim Schopfe packen (literally: One must grab opportunity by the forelock)
More proverbs about Challenge
- The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward — Greater rewards require greater risks.
- Divide and conquer — Achieve dominance by breaking opposition into smaller parts.
- When it rains, it pours — Troubles often come all at once.
- If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen — If you can't handle pressure, leave the situation.
- The road less traveled makes all the difference — Unconventional choices often lead to the most meaningful outcomes.
- He who hesitates is lost — Indecision leads to missed opportunities.
From our tongue twisters
- Hinter Hermann Hannes Haus hängen hundert Hemden raus. — A relentless 'h' aspirate drill — every word opens with the same breathy attack.
- Tigre contro tigre, tigre contro un'altra tigre. — Pure 't/ig/re' drill — short and merciless; the double-g demands a crisp Italian stop.
- Apelle figlio di Apollo fece una palla di pelle di pollo e tutti i principi della città di Capua la palpeggiarono. — A wall of 'p/ll/l/a' that seems to grow longer as you speak it faster.