The foremost dog catches the hare.
Meaning: Speed and initiative win the prize; those who act first gain advantage over competitors.
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
- Change of fortune is the lot of life. — Life's circumstances shift unpredictably, so neither prosperity nor hardship remains perm…
- Better a fortune in her than on her. — A woman's character and intelligence matter more than her physical appearance or material…
- Foul hands befoul all they touch. — Moral corruption spreads through contact, tainting everything and everyone a person influ…
- Four farthings and a thimble make a tailor's pocket jingle. — A tailor's meager earnings remind us that even small accumulations of modest wealth deser…
- The fox knows much, but more he that catcheth him. — The cunning schemer is ultimately undone by someone possessing even greater intelligence…
- A fox should not be of the jury at a goose trial. — Predators cannot impartially judge those they naturally prey upon; self-interest corrupts…
From our tongue twisters
- Parangaricutirimícuaro — Not a sentence but a single word — a legendary 22-letter pronunciation challenge from a r…
- Dans ta tente ta tante t'attend. — A gentle 'ta / ten / tan / t'' warm-up that sounds faster than it reads.
- Seize chaises sèches sur seize arches sèches. — A relentless collision of 'sei', 'sèch', and 's' — the tongue can't find traction.