The worst spoke in the cart-wheel breaks first.

Meaning: Weakest components fail under strain, revealing themselves before stronger ones.

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

More proverbs about Wisdom

• He that is thrown would ever wrestle. — One who has suffered defeat becomes perpetually combative, unable to accept vulnerability.
• He who maketh others wretched is himself a wretch, whether prince or peasant. — Cruelty corrupts the perpetrator's own soul regardless of their social station or power.
• A growing youth hath a wolf in his stomach. — Adolescent bodies demand constant nourishment to fuel their rapid physical development an…
• Youth and white paper take any impression. — Young minds and blank surfaces alike absorb whatever marks are made upon them, emphasizin…
• Zeal without knowledge is the sister of folly. — Passionate effort without understanding creates problems as readily as ignorance itself d…
• Agree, for law is costly. — Settling disputes peacefully preserves wealth that litigation devours.

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