Say What? A chain is only as strong as its weakest link/A house divided against itself cannot stand
Welcome back to "Say What?" Today we're tackling the sayings a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and a house divided against itself cannot stand, both of which deal with the strength (or lack thereof) in a given item.
Let's find out more, with a little help from the characters of Pacific Rim.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
This proverb, first appearing in its recognized form in an 1856 letter written by C. Kingsley, means that a person or group's weakest aspect renders them vulnerable and thus limits their overall strength, regardless of what that overall strength might be:
The devil is very busy, and no one knows better than he, that "nothing is stronger than its weakest part."
An earlier form of the proverb puts it this way:
In every chain of reasoning, the evidence of the last conclusion can be no greater than that of the weakest link of the chain, whatever may be the strength of the rest. -Thomas Reid, Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, 1786
Since this is a well-known saying, it's easy to work into fanfiction, like so:
"You'd better be up to speed, Beckett," said Chuck Hansen disdainfully. "I've got this run in the bag, but you and the rookie are my support, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link."
A house divided against itself cannot stand
This saying is far older, having its origin in the book of Matthew in the New Testament, and is sometimes shortened to a house divided:
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. -Matthew 12:25, King James Version
In other words, any group that isn't united in its ideals won't withstand any outside interference-it will crumble. Abraham Lincoln used this same proverb in June of 1858, when he addressed the Republican convention in Springfield, Illinois:
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe the government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the house to fall-but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.
This saying is also fairly common, so having your characters use it shouldn't be difficult at all:
Raleigh swallowed his comeback to Chuck's latest insult . Dissent at a time of crisis was deadly-a house divided against itself cannot stand-and Raleigh refused to be the one to let that dissent flare openly.
If you want your characters to underscore the perceived strength of a group (or plan or whatever else) in relation to its weakest part, use one of these sayings. But do so mindfully! After all, a good story is only as strong as its weakest line.
Sources:
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Phrases.org
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Random House Dictionary of America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings, Gregory Titelman. Random House, 2000.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Phrases.org
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Random House Dictionary of America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings, Gregory Titelman. Random House, 2000.
Let's find out more, with a little help from the characters of Pacific Rim.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
This proverb, first appearing in its recognized form in an 1856 letter written by C. Kingsley, means that a person or group's weakest aspect renders them vulnerable and thus limits their overall strength, regardless of what that overall strength might be:
The devil is very busy, and no one knows better than he, that "nothing is stronger than its weakest part."
An earlier form of the proverb puts it this way:
In every chain of reasoning, the evidence of the last conclusion can be no greater than that of the weakest link of the chain, whatever may be the strength of the rest. -Thomas Reid, Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, 1786
Since this is a well-known saying, it's easy to work into fanfiction, like so:
"You'd better be up to speed, Beckett," said Chuck Hansen disdainfully. "I've got this run in the bag, but you and the rookie are my support, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link."
A house divided against itself cannot stand
This saying is far older, having its origin in the book of Matthew in the New Testament, and is sometimes shortened to a house divided:
And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. -Matthew 12:25, King James Version
In other words, any group that isn't united in its ideals won't withstand any outside interference-it will crumble. Abraham Lincoln used this same proverb in June of 1858, when he addressed the Republican convention in Springfield, Illinois:
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe the government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the house to fall-but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.
This saying is also fairly common, so having your characters use it shouldn't be difficult at all:
Raleigh swallowed his comeback to Chuck's latest insult . Dissent at a time of crisis was deadly-a house divided against itself cannot stand-and Raleigh refused to be the one to let that dissent flare openly.
If you want your characters to underscore the perceived strength of a group (or plan or whatever else) in relation to its weakest part, use one of these sayings. But do so mindfully! After all, a good story is only as strong as its weakest line.
Sources:
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Phrases.org
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Random House Dictionary of America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings, Gregory Titelman. Random House, 2000.
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Phrases.org
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Random House Dictionary of America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings, Gregory Titelman. Random House, 2000.