proverb · Words worth keeping
A man cannot both wive and thrive in a year.
A man cannot both wive and thrive in a year.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Several major commitments can compete for time and resources. The saying exaggerates that tension by claiming marriage and prosperity cannot occur within one year.
What the words are saying
Wiving and thriving are placed on a timetable that rules out their simultaneous success. It can prompt practical discussion about expectations during a transition. It does not establish a universal limit, assign provision to one gender or make a relationship an obstacle by nature. A useful interpretation asks what the particular commitments require and what support makes them manageable.
Everyday example
Partners discuss a realistic schedule for a shared transition instead of expecting every other ambition to advance immediately at the same pace.
When to use it
Use it to examine competing demands during a major commitment.
What it does not mean
The year is not a verified limit, and partnership need not prevent material progress.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1818 · Wive
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English