War, hunting, and law, are as full of trouble as pleasure.
Meaning: Life's most engaging pursuits inevitably mix hardship with satisfaction, demanding we accept struggle as inseparable from reward.
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
- Who preacheth war is the devil's chaplain. — Advocating violence serves evil's purposes, regardless of one's stated justifications or…
- To him that wills ways are not wanting. — Determined individuals discover opportunities and solutions where others see only obstacl…
- Wedding and ill-wintering tame both man and beast. — Harsh conditions and major life commitments force humans and animals alike to abandon wil…
- Wide will wear but narrow will tear. — Broad foundations and generous margins endure stress better than tight, constrained struc…
- If wilful will to water, wilful must be drowned. — Stubbornness that refuses to bend like water inevitably breaks against immovable obstacle…
- Take the will for the deed. — Accept someone's sincere effort or intention as equivalent to successful completion when…
From our tongue twisters
- Zehn zahme Ziegen ziehen zehn Zentner Zucker zum Zoo. — A sustained 'z' / 'ts' drill — every word starts with the same affricate.
- Wenn Fliegen hinter Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach. — Fliegen means 'flies' (insects), 'to fly', and 'flying' — all at once, relentlessly.
- Der Cottbuser Postkutscher putzt den Cottbuser Postkutschkasten. — A jaw-breaking compound-noun 'ts/tsch/sch' marathon — the German love of compound words w…