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.
Akin to the Basque proverb “Haria meheenean eten ohi da”, “A thread usually breaks where it is thinnest”.
EtymologyFirst 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.
Akin to the Basque proverb “Haria meheenean eten ohi da”, “A thread usually breaks where it is thinnest”.
Proverba chain is only as strong as its weakest link
An organization is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person. A group of associates is only as strong as its laziest member.BTW，do you have any good Chinese translation？
Still like better the 1868 version 'a chain is no stronger than its weakest link' because it's one word less.
Thank you!
A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo.
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