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The course of true love never did run smooth

What's the meaning of the phrase 'The course of true love never did run smooth'?

Literal meaning.

What's the origin of the phrase 'The course of true love never did run smooth'?

This expression derives from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream, 1598:

LYSANDER:
Ay me! for aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth;
But, either it was different in blood.

See also: the List of Proverbs.

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Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
The course of true love never did run smooth

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