success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Success is achieved by hard work, not by merely wishing for it.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone” mean?
Success is achieved by hard work, not by merely wishing for it.
Is “success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.