no flying without wings
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Nothing can be done without the proper means.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “no flying without wings” mean?
Nothing can be done without the proper means.
Is “no flying without wings” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.