Meaning
'If yuh want gud, yuh nose haffi run' — if you want good, your nose has to run. Nothing worth having comes without effort and hardship, the proverb teaches: you must sweat, strain, and put up with discomfort to earn what you want, for there is no gain without pain. The vivid image of the running nose stands for the toil and suffering of hard work, and the saying is a plain-spoken encouragement to endure the struggle, since the good things of life are won only through effort and endurance.
Examples
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Yuh haffi work hard fi succeed; if yuh want gud, yuh nose haffi run.
You have to work hard to succeed; nothing good comes without effort.
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Nobody nah give yuh nutten free — if yuh want gud, yuh nose haffi run.
Nobody gives you anything for free — you must strive for what you want.
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She study late every night; if yuh want gud, yuh nose haffi run.
She studies late every night; if you want good things, you have to toil.
Origin
A homely image of exertion: hard physical labour under the hot sun makes the body run — even the nose — so a running nose stands for the sweat and strain that earning good things demands.
How it’s used
One of the best-known Jamaican proverbs on the value of hard work — nothing good comes easily.