throw dirt enough, and some will stick
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.
Examples
Quoted attestation: 1759, John Wesley, letter to John Downes, Rector of St. Michael's, Wood Street, read at Wesley Center Online at https://web.archive.org/web/20060903061313/http://wesley.nnu.edu/john_wesley/letters/1766.htm on 14 Oct 06.
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “throw dirt enough, and some will stick” mean?
If enough allegations are made about someone or something, then even if they are all untrue, people's opinion of the person or thing will be diminished.
Is “throw dirt enough, and some will stick” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.