What does ‘every dog has its day’ mean?
To “every dog has its day” means to everyone eventually gets a chance at success. Brewer's records the proverb from at least the 16th century; a version appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet (V.i).
Origin
- Brewer's records the proverb from at least the 16th century; a version appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet (V.i).
How to use it
- Comforting reassurance to the overlooked.
- Example: Don't give up — every dog has its day.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.