Willows are weak, yet they bend other wood.
Meaning: Flexibility and gentleness can overcome rigidity; what appears fragile often proves stronger through adaptation.
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 Perseverance
- Wine is a turncoat, first a friend, then an enemy. — Excessive alcohol initially pleasures but ultimately betrays through addiction, health de…
- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. — Recognizing divine authority and moral accountability forms the foundational discipline f…
- Wit is folly, unless a wise man hath the keeping of it. — Cleverness without prudent restraint becomes destructive, as unchecked intelligence ampli…
- He had enough to keep the wolf from the door. — Survival requires only minimal resources; having just enough to prevent destitution satis…
- A woman's work is never at an end. — Domestic labor multiplies infinitely, offering no natural stopping point or completion un…
- They that will not work in heat, must hunger in frost. — Refusing effort during favorable conditions guarantees hardship when circumstances turn d…
From our idioms
- tickle someone's fancy — To please or amuse someone in a light-hearted way.
- tickled pink — Thoroughly pleased; very happy.
- tied to one's mother's apron strings — Emotionally or physically attached to one's mother beyond what is considered appropriate…