Home › Proverbs

The lower millstone grinds as well as the upper.

Meaning: Humble, ordinary work produces results as valuable as prestigious labor.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Challenge

  • If the mountain will not go to Mahomet, let Mahomet go to the mountain. — When obstacles won't move, adapt your approach rather than exhaust yourself demanding cha…
  • When thy neighbour's house is on fire, be careful of thine own. — Self-preservation requires vigilance when crisis spreads nearby; danger threatening other…
  • By doing nothing we learn to do ill. — Idleness creates habits of laziness that make wrongdoing easier than virtuous effort.
  • It is more painful to do nothing than something. — Inaction breeds regret and anxiety; taking action—even imperfect action—relieves the torm…
  • When old age is evil, youth can learn no good. — A corrupt elder corrupts the next generation; moral decay flows downward through families…
  • An old dog will learn no tricks. — Deeply ingrained habits and character resist change; established patterns persist regardl…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…