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Strike while the iron is hot

Meaning: Act quickly when the opportunity presents itself.

Origin: English proverb from blacksmithing tradition, 14th century.

Translations

  • French: Il faut battre le fer tant qu'il est chaud (literally: One must strike the iron while it is hot)
  • Spanish: A hierro caliente, batir de repente (literally: To hot iron, strike suddenly)
  • Japanese: 鉄は熱いうちに打て (Tetsu wa atsui uchi ni ute) (literally: Strike the iron while it is hot)

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