Home US English once a —, always a —

Definition of once a —, always a — in English:

once a —, always a —

phrase

proverb

  • A person cannot change their fundamental nature.

    ‘once a whiner, always a whiner’
    • ‘As far as the Catholicism goes, there is a school of thought that says, ‘once a Catholic, always a Catholic’.’
    • ‘Our position is, once a criminal, always a criminal and we will keep you in jail forever, and if we do let you out, we expect you back in three years anyway.’
    • ‘I was strictly a drummer, and once a drummer, always a drummer - the way I play is very rhythmic, very percussive.’