“Mother, don’t worry. I am sure of my success this time,” I said.
“You better be. But remember, there's many a slip between the cup and the lip. ”
What did she mean, I was left wondering, till I read about this rather old fashioned expression. The proverb means even when things seem certain, something can go wrong. The task may seem simple, like drinking from a cup, but a lot can still go wrong. Mom was just warning me not to take things for granted and expect success without working for it. Makes sense, hmmm.
The phrase many a slip means many slips.
Many + a / an + singular noun
Many a means many and is used mainly in literary writing and newspapers. Many a/an ... is used to indicate a large number of something. However, it takes a singular noun, which can be followed by a singular verb.
Eg: Many a person has been helped by the therapy.
Eg: Many an hour was spent with friends.
