ProverbChallengeAmerican origin1953

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Meaning: Strong people don't give up when faced with challenges.

Often credited to: Joseph P. Kennedy, but the earliest printed uses quote the football coaches John Thomas and Frank Leahy

Origin: A coaching motto from American football. The earliest printed examples, from 1953 and 1954, quote the coaches John Thomas and Frank Leahy. It is often credited to Joseph P. Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy, but no evidence confirms that. It plays on two senses of "going": conditions become hard, so the hardy get moving.

Equivalents in Japanese

  • Japanese: 疾風に勁草を知る (Shippū ni keisō wo shiru) (literally: In a fierce wind you learn which grass is strong)

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