The lower millstone grinds as well as the upper.
Meaning: Humble, ordinary work produces results as valuable as prestigious labor.
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 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…
- It's ill healing an old sore. — Reopening past wounds—whether emotional or relational—creates fresh damage harder to reso…
From our tongue twisters
- 간장 공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다. (Ganjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Jang gongjangjang igo, doenjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Gang gongjangjang ida.) — A 'gong/jang/gang' syllable storm — the two surnames (Jang/Gang) swap while the rest stay…
- 경찰청 철창살은 외철창살이고 검찰청 철창살도 외철창살이다. (Gyeongchalcheong cheolchangsal eun oe cheolchangsal igo, geomchalcheong cheolchangsal do oe cheolchangsal ida.) — A 'cheong/cheol/chal' onslaught — Korean's aspirated stops and affricates in relentless s…
- Strč prst skrz krk. — Four words, zero vowels — the most concentrated consonant cluster challenge in any Europe…