ProverbPerseverance
English origin
English originThrow enough mud at the wall, some of it will stick
Meaning: Regarding this "mud" term in particular, it may possibly reference a technique of building wattle and daub walls by throwing daub (mud mixed with straw) at the wattle, throwing hard enough that some obtained a good key and remained in place; compare slapdash, a pebbledash effect produced by throwing pebbles at a rendered wall.
Origin: Said of both persistence and slander: try enough things, or repeat enough accusations, and something will stick. It is related to the older saying "throw dirt enough, and some will stick"; no first use of the mud-and-wall wording has been traced.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Russian
French: Calomniez, calomniez, il en restera toujours quelque chose (literally: Slander, slander, something of it will always remain)
Spanish: Calumnia, que algo queda (literally: Slander, and something will stick)
Japanese: 下手な鉄砲も数撃てば当たる (Heta na teppō mo kazu uteba ataru) (literally: Even a poor shot will hit the mark if he fires enough times)
German: Es bleibt immer etwas hängen (literally: Something always sticks)
Russian: Клевета что уголь: не обожжёт, так замарает (Kleveta chto ugol': ne obozhzhyot, tak zamaraet) (literally: Slander is like coal: if it doesn't burn, it blackens)
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