now or never en · ADV
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /ˌnaʊ‿ə ˈnɛvə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌnaʊ‿əɹ ˈnɛvəɹ/ (General-American)
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, not-comparable, qualifier:set phrase) At this sole opportunity or time, or not at all.
This was the moment when he must put his fortune to the test, to win or lose it all. Now or never must the balloon go up.
1932 August 17, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter 13, in Hot Water, Woodstock; New York, N.Y.: The Overlook Press, published 2003, →ISBN, section 2, page 209:[A]s you tender the welfare of your country, I entreat you not to forget or delay so public-spirited a work. Now or never is the time.
1709 July 17 (Gregorian calendar), Jenny Distaff [pseudonym; Richard Steele], “Wednesday, July 7, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 38; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.; […], 1822, →OCLC, page 232:Mamma mia, even if I say / "Bye-bye", leave me now or never / Mamma mia, it's a game we play / Bye-bye doesn't mean forever
1975 March 12 (date recorded), Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson, “Mamma Mia”, in ABBA, performed by ABBA, New York, N.Y.: Atlantic Records, published 21 April 1975, →OCLC:It's now or never / Come hold me tight / Kiss me my darling / Be mine tonight / Tomorrow will be too late / It's now or never / My love won't wait
1960 April 3 (date recorded), Wally Gold, Aaron Schroeder, Eduardo di Capua, “It’s Now or Never”, performed by Elvis Presley, New York, N.Y.: RCA Victor, published 5 July 1960, →OCLC:There had been a sense of now or never about this semi-final for United. Another elimination would be a fifth last-four reverse under the manager and serious questions would be asked regarding their ability to break the psychological barrier that separates also-rans from winners.
2021 April 29, Jamie Jackson, “Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes help Manchester United hit Roma for six”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Oct 2023:"Come off, now or never," cried Amyas, clutching him by the arm, and dragging him away like a child.
1855, Charles Kingsley, “What Befel at La Guayra”, in Westward Ho!: Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, […], volume II, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 309:
Deriveds
Relateds
last chance saloon · now and again · now and then · once-in-a-lifetime · now, more than ever
Translations (21)
fi nyt tai ei koskaan (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · de jetzt oder nie (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · da nu eller aldrig (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · pl teraz albo nigdy (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · es ahora o nunca (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · it adesso o mai più (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · fr le moment ou jamais (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · nb nå eller aldri (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · bg сега́ или́ ни́кога (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · ja 待ったなし (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · hu most vagy soha (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · fr maintenant ou jamais (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · nl nu of nooit (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · he עכשיו או לעולם (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · nn no eller aldri (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · ja 待った無し (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · ja まったなし (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · sv nu eller aldrig (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · it ora o mai più (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · pt agora ou nunca (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all) · ru сейча́с и́ли никогда́ (at this sole opportunity or time, or not at all)