there is a tide in the affairs of men

there is a tide in the affairs of men

The opportunities one may avail of will rise up and then recede like the tides of the ocean. We have the chance to make a real difference here, but there is a tide in the affairs of men—if we don't act right now, we may never have the opportunity again. There is a tide in the affairs of men, after all, and I believe the senator's time may now be behind him.
See also: affair, men, of, there, tide
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Prov. If you have a favorable opportunity to do something, do it, or you will lose your chance. (From Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar.) I think that this is the best possible time to start our own business. We shouldn't hesitate. There is a tide in the affairs of men.
See also: affair, men, of, there, tide
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • available
  • make (someone or something) available to (one)
  • make available to
  • Davy
  • Davy Jones's locker
  • an ocean of (something)
  • an ocean of something
  • ocean
  • cry an ocean
  • from sea to shining sea
References in periodicals archive
Attributed to 15th-century English poet Geoffrey Chaucer is the phrase 'Time and tide wait for no man.' William Shakespeare wrote, 'There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.' This meant that ships had to sail when the tide was at its highest and then flowing out to sea.
Trade the tide