Words worth understanding
Start with the thought in plain English. Then examine its imagery, practical application and limitations.
2,058 selected entries have editorial explanations. An explanation is not independent authentication of an attribution. Start with the individually source-checked classics ↗
proverb · Traditional
When resources are scarce, shared provision may be limited. The contrast between coin and commons connects available means with what a group can supply.
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The saying contrasts white silver with black lines. It gives a valuable, bright material an image of a dark mark or consequence, without explaining the mechanism.
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Having sufficient resources can permit more choice in how they are used. The spice and meal picture an option that depends on what is available.
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The saying promises material gain from sowing oats in January. Gold and groats connect a calendar choice with an imagined reward.
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Care for modest resources may contribute to having more available later. The saying exaggerates that connection when it makes a single saving habit necessary for prosperity.
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Access to a small benefit may be preferable to taking on the burden of maintaining its whole source. The cow and bottle of milk contrast ownership with obtaining only what is needed.
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The saying makes a lack of stock render gain scarcely worth a chip. It contrasts a supporting resource with a small result judged insufficient.
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Deliberately wasting usable resources can leave fewer available when they are needed later. Consider foreseeable needs before discarding or consuming something without a worthwhile purpose.
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Words may be plentiful while the means to achieve a result are still missing. The sand-and-land contrast stresses practical resources, without making speech worthless or money the only source of useful action.
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Material strain can weigh on a person’s expression and mood. The wrinkled purse and face make the connection visible without defining everyone’s experience.
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Each participant pays an agreed share rather than relying on one person to cover everyone. The regional label belongs to the saying and is not evidence of a universal local custom.
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You cannot use up a benefit and still keep it available. Some desirable outcomes conflict, so a decision requires accepting what you give up.
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A small transaction may reveal how someone handles a larger one. The penny and shilling invite attention to habits without making one example conclusive.
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A small or appealing object can cost more than its real value to you. Consider what you give up to obtain it, rather than letting desire alone decide what is worth paying.
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