take time by the forelock
Preserved but no longer current.
Seize the present moment; Carpe diem. Time called by Shake- speare "that bald sexton*' (King John iiL 1), is represented with a lock of hair on his fore- head but none on the rest of his head% to signify that time past cannot be used, but time present may be seized by the forelock. The saying is attributed to Pittacus of Mitylene, one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
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 “take time by the forelock” mean?
Seize the present moment; Carpe diem. Time called by Shake- speare "that bald sexton*' (King John iiL 1), is represented with a lock of hair on his fore- head but none on the rest of his head% to signify that time past cannot be used, but time present may be seized by the forelock. The saying is attributed to Pittacus of Mitylene, one of the Seven Sages of Greece.
Is “take time by the forelock” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.