a chain is only as strong as its weakest link en · X
Etymology
First appeared in Thomas Reid’s Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, published in 1786. The full idiom a chain is no stronger than its weakest link was first printed in Cornhill Magazine in 1868.
Meanings
- An organization is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person; a group of associates is only as competent as its laziest member.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| a chain is no stronger than its weakest link | alternative | lexicographic | |
| a chain is as strong as its weakest link | alternative | lexicographic |
Relateds
Translations (19)
cmn 溃于蚁穴 (aphorism) · es una cadena es tan fuerte como su eslabón más débil (aphorism) · nb en kjede er aldri sterkere enn sitt svakeste ledd (aphorism) · cmn 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 /千里之堤 (aphorism) · cmn 一步下錯，滿盤皆輸 /一步下错 (aphorism) · pt uma corrente é tão forte quanto seu elo mais fraco (aphorism) · da en kæde kun så stærk som det svageste led (aphorism) · cmn 满盘皆输 (aphorism) · fi ketju on vain niin vahva kuin sen heikoin lenkki (aphorism) · id sebuah rantai hanya sekuat tautan terlemahnya (aphorism) · pt uma corrente é tão forte quanto o seu elo mais fraco (aphorism) · nl de keten is zo sterk als haar zwakste schakel (aphorism) · sv en kedja är aldrig starkare än dess svagaste länk (aphorism) · hu a leggyengébb láncszemnél szakad a lánc (aphorism) · de eine Kette ist nur so stark wie ihr schwächstes Glied (aphorism) · el μια αλυσίδα είναι όσο δυνατή όσο ο πιο αδύναμός της κρίκος (aphorism) · it una catena è forte quanto il suo anello più debole (aphorism) · nn ei kjede er aldri sterkare enn det svakaste ledd (aphorism) · ru где то́нко, там и рвётся (aphorism)