Two of a trade seldom agree.
Meaning: Rivals in the same business rarely agree; competition breeds friction between them.
Origin: The rivalry of people in the same line of work is an ancient observation: the Greek poet Hesiod wrote that potter is jealous of potter and craftsman of craftsman. English versions appear in 17th-century plays — Edward Ravenscroft's The Careless Lovers (1673) has "Two of a trade can seldom agree" — and John Gay's Fables (1727) spread the rhyme "Two of a trade can never agree."
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Agues come on horseback, but go away on foot. — Sickness arrives suddenly but lingers, leaving far more slowly than it came.
- None knows the weight of another's burden. — No one can truly feel how heavy another person's troubles are.
- April and May are the keys of the year. — Spring's weather sets the course for the whole year's growth and harvest.
- Argus at home, but a mole abroad. — Sharp-eyed over one's own household, yet blind to everything beyond it.
- Ask but enough, and you may lower as you list. — Open by asking high, and you can always come down as you please.
- Ask thy purse what thou shouldst buy. — Let your purse, not your wishes, decide what you can buy.
From our tongue twisters
- Şu çam sakızı çan sakızı olmuş, çan sakızı şan sakızı olmuş. — A 'ş/ç/şan/çan' duel — Turkish's two close sibilants at war with each other.
- Sex laxar i en laxask. — A short 'x/lax/ks' crunch — Swedish's 'x' sounds like 'ks', which doubles the trap.
- Sju sjösjuka sjömän skötte sjuttiosju sjösjuka sjölejon på skeppet Shanghai. — An unstoppable 'sj/sk/sh' onslaught — the Swedish sj-sound (a unique voiceless fricative)…