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You are here: Home / Language / Where does the expression “to strike while the iron is hot” come from and What does it mean?

Where does the expression “to strike while the iron is hot” come from and What does it mean?

February 14, 2020 by Karen Hill

The expression “to strike while the iron is hot” means to act at the most fitting moment; to seize the most favorable opportunity.

It was, of course, the blacksmith who was originally so exhorted.

If he failed to swing his hammer while the metal on the anvil was still glowing, nothing would do but to start up the forge again and reheat the iron. His time was lost; the opportunity for effective work had passed.

Figurative use is very old. It is found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, “The Tale of Melibeus,” (1386) : “Right so as whil that Iren is hoot men sholden smyte.”

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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