All's Well That Ends Well

All's Well That Ends Well

noun
a comedy (1602?) by Shakespeare.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

All's well that ends well definition


Problems that occur along the way do not matter as long as the outcome is happy.

Note: This proverb was used as a title for one of William Shakespeare's comedies.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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00:10
All's well that ends well is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

all's well that ends well

Everything has turned out satisfactorily, even though the outcome has been uncertain. For example, His lawyer persuaded Jack to plead guilty, but the court merely put him on probationall's well that ends well. This proverb, dating from about 1250, gained even more currency as the title of a Shakespeare comedy.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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