ProverbChallengeEnglish origin19th c.

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 Spanish, Japanese, and German

  • Spanish: La ocasión la pintan calva (literally: Opportunity is painted bald)
  • Japanese: 好機逸すべからず (Kōki issu bekarazu) (literally: Do not let a good opportunity slip away)
  • German: Man muss die Gelegenheit beim Schopfe packen (literally: One must grab opportunity by the forelock)

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