A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

nay. 1893 R. L. STEVENSON Catriona xix. That young lady, with whom I so much

desired to be alone again, sang.. ‘He that will not when he may, When he will he shall

have nay.’ 1935 N. MITCHISON We have been Warned III. 297 ‘She that will not when

she may, When she will she shall have nay.’ Aren’t you feeling a bit like that? 1958 B.

PYM Glass of Blessings xi. ‘It was a rather pretty little box, just the kind of thing you

like. ..’ ‘I know,’ I said. ‘“If you will not when you may, when you will you shall have

nay.”’ opportunity, missed

Where there’s a WILL, there’s a way

1640 G. HERBERT Outlandish Proverbs no. 730 To him that will, wais are not

wanting. 1822 W. HAZLITT in New Monthly Mag. Feb. 102 Where there’s a will, there’s

a way.—I said so to myself, as I walked down Chancery-lane.. to inquire.. where the fight

the next day was to be. 1979 E. KOCH Good Night Little Spy xi. I’ve no idea how it can

be done. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. 2002 Washington Times 26 Mar. A17

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And the one thing campaign-finance reform does not

do, because it cannot, is diminish the will to influence elections and politicians.

persistence; ways and means

will see also (noun) he that COMPLIES against his will is of his own opinion still; (verb)
if ANYTHING can go wrong, it will; there’s none so BLIND as those who will not see; there’s
none so DEAF as those who will not hear; what MUST be must be.

He who WILLS the end, wills the means

1692 R. SOUTH Twelve Sermons 497 That most true aphorism, that he who wills the

end, wills also the means. 1910 Spectator 29 Oct. 677 We won a Trafalgar.. because we

not only meant to win, but knew how to win—because we understood.. the maxim, ‘He

who wills the end wills the means.’ 1980 Listener 13 Mar. 332 I could offer a text.. from

Aneurin Bevan: ‘It’s no good willing the end unless you’re also ready to will the means.’

action and consequences; ways and means

You WIN a few, you lose a few

An expression of consolation or resignation of American origin, also frequently found in
the form you win some, you lose some. See also the next entry. Cf. 1897

R. KIPLING Captains Courageous x. ‘Thirty million dollars’ worth of mistake, wasn’t it?