What one loses on the swings one makes up on the roundabouts
The proprietor of a fair ground does not mind running his swings at a loss if his roundabouts bring him in a handsome profit. He can afford to... Read more →
What must be must be
We have no alternative but to bow to the inevitable. It is a philosophical acceptance of things as they are.
What may be done at any time is done at no time
This is another way of saying One of these days is none of these days. 'I'll do it one of these days.' This means that you propose to do... Read more →
What man has done, man can do
Once a thing has been done, however difficult or dangerous it may be, it can be done again. Take, for example, the example, the exploration of... Read more →
What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is my own
This is a skit on the quotation from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure: 'What's is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.' A similar saying... Read more →
What is worth doing is worth doing well
This is treated under If a thing is worth doing it is worth doing well.
What is the good of a sundial in the shade?
A sundial tells the time only when the sun is shining upon it. If it is placed where the sun cannot reach it, it will never tell the time. The... Read more →
What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
Whether we eat goose or gander, we have the same apple sauce with it, so what is good for one is good for the other. If Barry plays a practical... Read more →
What’s done cannot be undone
It is too late to regret an action after it has been performed. It is no use crying over spilt milk.
What is bred in the bone will never come out of the flesh
This saying is often misquoted and misconstrued. People say, 'What's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh' meaning that a natural... Read more →