make hay while the sun shines
To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Prices are low now, so make hay while the sun shines.”
“The store is busy during the holiday season, so we should make hay while the sun shines and increase our sales.”
“Recognizing that the current market conditions were temporary, the investors decided to make hay while the sun shines by expanding their portfolio before the economy slowed down.”
first recorded 16th c. disputed origin
16th-century English farming proverb (Heywood, 1546): cut hay must dry in the sun, so farmers worked while the weather held.
- 01
absence makes the heart grow fonder
One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.
- 02
cannot make it
Cannot reach satisfactory or expected standards or do something competently; describes someone in a hopeless situation.
- 03
catch the sun
To sunbathe.
- 04
currant bun
[Cockney slang]sun or The Sun newspaper
- 05
day in the sun
A time of glory or ascendancy.
- 06
doctors make the worst patients
It is difficult to advise people on subjects that they are experts on.
- 07
enough to make a cat laugh
Very outlandish or outrageous.
- 08
enough to make the angels weep
Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.
Last updated August 10, 2026