always

always chasing rainbows

tending to look for something (more) exciting and (more) rewarding but without realistic expectations. He can't seem to settle down and enjoy life. He's always chasing rainbows.

See also: chase, rainbow

bad penny always turns up

Prov. A worthless person always comes back to the place he or she started out. Jill: I just found out that Tom left town after we fought last Saturday. What if I never see him again? Jane: Don't worry. A bad penny always turns up.

See also: bad, penny, turn, up

bread always falls on the buttered side

Prov. When things go wrong, they go completely wrong. Not only did my phone break, but it broke today—today of all days, when I'm expecting a really important call. The bread always falls on the buttered side. When the painting fell off the wall, it landed on a priceless porcelain vase and broke it. The bread always falls on the buttered side.

See also: bread, butter, fall, side

bully is always a coward

Prov. Bullies will only intimidate people who are much weaker than they are, because they are afraid of losing a fight. Child: Dad, Joey keeps picking on me. How can I make him stop? Father: Try fighting back. A bully is always a coward. Bill took advantage of the younger children, but he was quiet and docile around the older ones. A bully is always a coward.

See also: bully, coward

customer is always right

Prov. In order to keep customers happy, the people who serve them should always obey their wishes. (Often cited as a principle of good business dealings; customers sometimes say it to the people serving them in order to try to get good service.) When I began working at the gift shop, my boss told me, "Remember, the customer is always right, no matter how stupid or rude you may think he is being."

See also: customer, right

darkest hour is just before the dawn and It's always darkest just before the dawn.

Prov. When things are extremely bad, it may signal that they are about to get much better. Jill: I feel like giving up. I don't have a job, my boyfriend left me, and they're raising the rent for my apartment. Jane: It's always darkest just before the dawn.

See also: before, dark, dawn, hour, just

first step is always the hardest

Prov. Starting a new endeavor is the hardest part of it. Fred: I want to quit smoking, but I can't convince myself to sign up for the "stop smoking" program, Jill: The first step is always the hardest. If I can just start this project, I know the rest will be easy. The first step is always the hardest.

See also: first, hard, step

It's always darkest just before the dawn.

See The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

See also: before, dark, dawn, just

latch string is always out

Fig. You are always welcome. Come by anytime. The latch string is always out. No need to call before you come over. For you folks, the latch string is always out.

See also: latch, out, string

Not always,

a conditional negative response. (See examples.) John: Do you come here every day? Jane: No, not always. John: Do you find that this condition usually clears up by itself? Doctor: Not always.

Once a priest, always a priest, and Once a whore, always a whore.

Prov. A person who has done a certain kind of job will always have the characteristics of people who do that job, even after he or she no longer does that kind of work. (This can be applied to many different occupations.) Alan: My cousin left the clergy, but boy! He still preaches at me all the time. Jane: Once a priest, always a priest, huh?

See also: once

rich man's joke is always funny

Prov. Everyone wants to curry favor with rich people and so will always laugh at their jokes. (From a poem by Thomas Edward Brown.) We all thought that Mr. Lisle was a narrow-minded, unpleasant old man, but we were careful to act otherwise, because he was wealthy. A rich man's joke is always funny.

See also: funny, joke, rich

The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence).

Prov. People always think they would be happier in a different set of circumstances. (Usually implies that the other circumstances really are not any better.) Jill: My job is so tedious. I wish I had my own business, like Beatrice does. Jane: Beatrice probably wishes she had the security of her old job. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

See also: grass, other, side

unexpected always happens

Prov. The things you do not foresee will happen to you; when you plan, you cannot think of everything that might happen. It took us an hour to drive to the restaurant, and when we got there, it was closed. I would never have expected a restaurant to be closed on a Friday night, but the unexpected always happens. Especially to me.

See also: happen

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always the bridesmaid, never the bride

used to talk about someone who is never the most important person in a situation Huw worked with a host of great actors, but somehow was always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

See also: bride, never

The grass is always greener (on the other side of the fence).

something that you say which means that other people always seem to be in a better situation than you, although they may not be And when I haven't been out for a while I start to envy Miriam with her great social life. Oh well, the grass is always greener.

See also: grass