No man can serve two masters.

No man can serve two masters.
No man can serve two masters.
Prov. You cannot work for two different people, organizations, or purposes in good faith, because you will end up favoring one over the other. (Biblical.) •

Al tried going to school and working, both full-time, but soon discovered that he could not serve two masters.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • no man can serve two masters — With allusion to MATTHEW vi. 24 (AV) No man can serve two masters (the verse which concludes you cannot serve God and Mammon). c 1330 in T. Wright Political Songs (1839) 325 No man may wel serve tweie lordes to queme [please]. c 1477 CAXTON Jason …   Proverbs new dictionary

  • Serve — Serve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Served}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Serving}.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • man — see man cannot live by bread alone whatever man has done, man may do a man is as old as he feels, and a woman as old as she looks man is the measure of all things man proposes, God disposes man’s extremity is …   Proverbs new dictionary

  • two — see two blacks don’t make a white while two dogs are fighting for a bone, a third runs away with it two heads are better than one two is company, but three is none two of a trade never agree if two ride on a …   Proverbs new dictionary

  • serve — see you cannot serve God and Mammon no man can serve two masters if you would be well served, serve yourself first come, first served pay beforehand was never well served youth must be served …   Proverbs new dictionary

  • To serve a process — Serve Serve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Served}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Serving}.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • To serve a warrant — Serve Serve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Served}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Serving}.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • To serve a writ — Serve Serve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Served}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Serving}.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • To serve a writ of attachment — Serve Serve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Served}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Serving}.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • To serve an attachment — Serve Serve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Served}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Serving}.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • To serve an execution — Serve Serve, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Served}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Serving}.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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