The hindermost dog may catch the hare.

Meaning: Even laggards succeed when persistence outlasts the quarry's exhaustion.

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

From our untranslatable words

  • Kummerspeck — The weight you gain from emotional eating — the extra pounds that accumulate during heart…
  • Fremdschämen — The vicarious embarrassment you feel for someone who is doing something cringeworthy — ev…
  • Drachenfutter — A peace-offering gift brought home to a partner after staying out too late or doing somet…

Browse all untranslatable words →

← Back to Proverbs