ProverbPerseverance
German origin
German originWer A sagt, muss auch B sagen
Meaning: Once you have started something, you have to see it through.
Literally: He who says A must also say B
Example: “Du hast das Projekt angefangen, jetzt bring es auch zu Ende. Wer A sagt, muss auch B sagen.” — You started the project, now finish it: in for a penny, in for a pound.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and 3 more languages
English: In for a penny, in for a pound
French: Quand le vin est tiré, il faut le boire (literally: When the wine is drawn, you must drink it)
Spanish: De perdidos, al río (literally: From lost, to the river)
Japanese: 毒を食らわば皿まで (Doku wo kurawaba sara made) (literally: If you eat poison, lick the plate too)
Portuguese: Perdido por cem, perdido por mil (literally: Lost for a hundred, lost for a thousand)
Dutch: Wie A zegt, moet ook B zeggen (literally: Whoever says A must also say B)
Russian: Взялся за гуж, не говори, что не дюж (Vzyalsya za guzh, ne govori, chto ne dyuzh) (literally: Once you've taken the harness strap, don't say you're not strong enough)
Polish: Jak się powiedziało A, trzeba powiedzieć B (literally: Once you've said A, you have to say B)
Origin: A and B open the alphabet: having said the first letter, you are bound to say the next. Bertolt Brecht turned it around in his 1930 school play Der Neinsager: whoever says A need not say B, because he can also see that A was wrong.
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- auf keinen grünen Zweig kommen To fail to achieve success or prosperity, to make no progress in life or a project.
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