The gown is hers who wears it, and the world is his who enjoys it.
Meaning: Possession belongs to those who actively use something, not merely own it formally.
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
- While the grass grows the steed starves. — Delay in acting allows opportunities to slip away while waiting for ideal conditions that…
- Grass grows not upon the highway. — Constant traffic wears away growth; neglected paths flourish while heavily used routes re…
- There would be no great ones if there were no little. — Greatness requires a foundation of ordinary people and humble tasks to build upon and ele…
- A great ship needs deep waters. — Significant ambitions require sufficient resources and circumstances to achieve their ful…
- A green wound is soon healed. — Fresh injuries recover quickly; delay in treatment makes wounds harder to mend.
- A green winter makes a fat churchyard. — Mild winters allow diseases to flourish unchecked, increasing mortality through the follo…
From our tongue twisters
- Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. — The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.
- Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal. — A relentless run on the 'tr' sound.
- Fischers Fritz fischt frische Fische, frische Fische fischt Fischers Fritz. — The German 'f' / 'sch' staple.