once a man, twice a child
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A man is born as a child, grows to adulthood, and consequently enters old age, when he deteriorates and reverts to a childlike state.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Người đàn ông sinh ra như trẻ em, lớn lên và trở lại trạng thái như trẻ em
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
King David being in his childhood, an old man in his ſecond childhood, for all old men are tvvice children, as the proverb is, An old man tvvice a child‡; it happened vvith him, as it doth oftentimes, vvhen vvicked men of a King's childhood take occaſion of evil. / Footnote ‡: Once a Man, tvvice a C
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “once a man, twice a child” mean?
A man is born as a child, grows to adulthood, and consequently enters old age, when he deteriorates and reverts to a childlike state.
Is “once a man, twice a child” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.