No man can serve two masters. 
Proverbs on a similar topic
- If wishes were horses beggars would ride.
- You cannot eat your cake and have it.
- To carry coals to Newcastle.
- He that is born a fool is never cured.
- You cannot make a silk purse of a sow's ear.
- Look not for musk in a dog's kennel.
- If the young man would and the old man could, there would be nothing undone.
- You cannot flay the same ox twice.
Related proverbs
Similar proverbs in the same language
English
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You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.
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Between two stools one falls to the ground.
- No man can do two things at one.
Similar proverbs in another language
Latin
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Nemo potest dominis pariter servire duobus.
No one can serve two masters alike.
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Simul flare sorbereque haud facile est.
It is not easy to blow and drink at the same time.
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Vix placet ambobus, qui vult servire duobus.
He who wants to serve two can hardly please both.
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Utiliter servit nemo duobus heris.
No one has been usefully served in the last two days.
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Qui cunctis servit, nulli bene de grege servit.
He who serves all, serves none well of the flock.
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Sorbere simul et flare difficile.
Sip at the same time and blow hard.
French
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Il faut être tout un ou tout autre.
You have to be one or the other.
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On ne peut être au four et au moulin.
You can't be in the middle of everything.
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On ne peut être partout.
We can't be everywhere.
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Nul ne peut servir deux maîtres.
No one can serve two masters.
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Nul ne peut servir deux maîtres à la fois.
No one can serve two masters at once.
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Changer son fusil d'épaule.
Change your mind.
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On ne peut sonner les cloches et aller à la procession.
You can't ring the bells and go to the procession.
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Demeurer entre deux selles le cul à terre.
Staying down between two bowel movements.
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On ne peut souffler et humer ensemble.
We can't breathe and smell together.
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Rester entre deux selles le cul à terre.
Staying down between bowel movements.
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Etre entre deux selles le cul à terre.
Being between two bowel movements with your ass on the ground.
German
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Man kann nicht auf zwei Hochzeiten gleichzeitig tanzen.
You can't dance at two weddings at the same time.
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Niemand kann zweien Herren dienen.
No one can serve two masters.
Czech
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Nikdo nemůže dvěma pánům sloužiti.
No man can serve two masters.
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Dvěma pánům nelze sloužit.
Two masters cannot be served.
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Těžko jednou hubou studené s horkým douti.
Hard to one mouth cold with a hot douti.
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Kdo ve všech ulicích bydlí, zle bydlí.
Those who live in all the streets live badly.
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Pes dvojích vrat mívá často hlad.
The dog of the double door is often hungry.