once an adult, twice a child

English

Alternative forms

• once an adult and twice a child

Etymology

Modern gender-neutralized form of once a man, twice a child (attested since the 16th century).

Proverb

once an adult, twice a child

1. One is born as a child, grows to adulthood, and consequently enters old age, when one deteriorates and reverts to a childlike state. [from 1909]

   Hyponyms: once a man, twice a boy; once a man, twice a child; (rare) once a woman, twice a child

   • 1928 October 24, Q. Q. McIntyre, “Behind the News”, in The Daily Herald, volume XXXI, number 60, Biloxi, Miss.; Gulfport, Miss., page 2, column 6:

     Two couples whose combined ages total 300 years were playing cards today and the nerve strain caused by the game was too much for the tired heart and nerves of one and she grew angry and ran home in tears. Once an adult, twice a child.

   • 1962, Ralph P[eter] Beatty, “[Aging, a Universal Problem] Dependence or Independence, Which?”, in The Senior Citizen, Springfield, Ill.: Charles C Thomas, →LCCN, part I (Aging and Retirement—A Problem and a Challenge), page 12:

     It has been said of man, “Once an adult, twice a child.” Young children are by nature dependent, require protection and security. There comes a time when the child struggles to get out from under the parents’ protective covering and exercise self-determination; to progress from dependence to independence. The Senior Citizen, too, often rebels against having his decisions made by others; he struggles against being treated like a child or as a nonentity by his own children and others.

   • 2013, Margaret Hawkins, chapter 7, in Deny Me Not, [County Wexford]: Bushel Press, →ISBN, page 250:

     They’re all wound up with Santy coming this morning. Mattie Dillon got a copy of Dolly Parton’s new CD and Dec Hannigan went into a sulk because he only got one of Charlie Landsborough’s and he can’t stand him. Once an adult, twice a child – nothing surer than that!