
ProverbWisdom
English origin1546
You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
Meaning: Loyalty to opposing sides simultaneously is impossible; you must choose which faction to serve.
Origin: You cannot support both sides at once. John Heywood's 1546 collection has "to hold with the hare and run with the hound" — the hare "holds" by pressing itself flat to escape the hounds chasing it, and nobody can be on both sides of that chase.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
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- Sei in gamba You're sharp, capable, and on the ball.
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- Du bist ein Schatz You're a sweetheart.
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