0
Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

english

when sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions. i need the meaning of this proverb?
  

Top answer

I'm not sure if it's the entire proverb you are having problems with, or just a word or two. " [ as ] single spies" implies "enemies", and of course a "battalion" is a large group of soldiers (enemies in this case). Another expression is "When it rains, it pours".

— Philip

  • I'm not sure if it's the entire proverb you are having problems with, or just a word or two.
  • " [ as ] single spies" implies "enemies", and of course a "battalion" is a large group of soldiers (enemies in this case).
  • Another expression is "When it rains, it pours".
  • There are probably other proverbial expressions that indicate that problems don't come just one at a time but in a series.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

2 Answers
0
I'm not sure if it's the entire proverb you are having problems with, or just a word or two. " [ as ] single spies" implies "enemies", and of course a "battalion" is a large group of soldiers (enemies in this case). Another expression is "When it rains, it pours". There are probably other proverbial expressions that indicate that problems don't come just one at a time but in a series.
0
0
It's not a proverb. It's a quotation from Shakespeare's play, Hamlet.
Look here.
0

Related Questions