needs must when the devil drives

English

Etymology

Needs (“of necessity, necessarily”, adverb) must (“one must”, impersonal) when the devil drives.

Proverb

needs must when the devil drives

There is sometimes no choice but to do some specific thing.
- 1664, Charles Cotton, Scarronides; or, Virgile Travestie:
  He needs must goe, the Devil drives.

Synonyms

needs must (short form)
necessity knows no law

Translations

there is sometimes no choice but to do something

Finnish: hätä ei lue lakia
German: was sein muss, muss sein
Russian: нужда научит калачи есть (nužda naučit kalači jestʹ)
Spanish: a la fuerza ahorcan
Swedish: nöden har ingen lag
Ukrainian: біда (лихо) навчить коржі з маком (коржі з салом, вареники) їсти (bida (lyxo) navčytʹ korži z makom (korži z salom, varenyky) jisty)

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.