strike while the iron is hot
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Don't miss a good opportunity; seize time by the forelock; make hay while the sun shines.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Examples
Strike while the iron is hot.Việc hôm nay chớ để ngày mai.
Tatoeba sentence #240718 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
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 “strike while the iron is hot” mean?
Don't miss a good opportunity; seize time by the forelock; make hay while the sun shines.
Is “strike while the iron is hot” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.