Not everything turns out the way it is supposed to. Things do not always go according to plan, and imperfection is a normal part of life.
The ciambella is a ring-shaped Italian pastry or cake that by definition should have a hole in the center. When a baker's ciambella fails to hold its shape and closes up during baking, the result is still edible but not what was intended. Italian housewives in rural communities passed down this observation as a gentle philosophical reminder that even skilled, careful people sometimes fall short of the ideal outcome. The proverb appears in printed form in Tuscan collections from the eighteenth century, though its oral roots are certainly older. It functions as both consolation and caution: consolation when something goes wrong despite best efforts, and caution against expecting perfection. Linguists note that the proverb is unusually concrete and domestic in its imagery, grounding an abstract idea in a familiar kitchen scene that anyone could visualize. The closest English equivalent is 'You can't win them all' or 'Things don't always go as planned.'
Rooted in Italian domestic baking tradition; earliest printed versions traced to Tuscany in the 1700s.
A failed recipe
La torta si è afflosciata in forno. Be', non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco.
The cake collapsed in the oven. Well, not every doughnut comes out with a hole.
A business deal
L'accordo non si è concluso come speravo, ma non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco.
The deal didn't conclude as I had hoped, but not every doughnut comes out with a hole.
A student's exam
Ho studiato tanto ma ho preso solo sei. Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco, purtroppo.
I studied a lot but only got a six. Not every doughnut comes out with a hole, unfortunately.
A sports match
Abbiamo giocato bene ma perso lo stesso. Non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco.
We played well but still lost. Not every doughnut comes out with a hole.