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
The saying gives the final celebration to those who actually succeed. It can caution against premature boasting, but winning is not the only reason for joy, and an unsuccessful result does not remove the value of effort, participation or fair conduct.
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A small demand can become substantial when it continues for a long time. Assess the duration and repetition of a burden, not only how light one instance appears.
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Small gains can add up when they are retained over time. Notice cumulative contributions rather than assuming that only a large immediate result can be useful.
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Providing something where it is already plentiful may be redundant or poorly matched to the need. The familiar comparison questions the usefulness of an addition, without establishing present conditions in Newcastle or making every surplus worthless.
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Something difficult or dangerous to obtain usually carries a substantial cost. The lion’s skin represents a prized result whose acquisition cannot simply be assumed cheap.
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Small additions repeated regularly can build a larger total. The purse image emphasises accumulation over time, without guaranteeing that every contribution is worthwhile or that everyone has resources available to set aside.
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A small undertaking may need to stay within conditions it can manage. The boat-and-shore image encourages attention to capacity, without requiring permanent timidity or providing practical navigation instructions.
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Those who initiate a task may differ from those who obtain its result or recognition. The small and large dogs invite attention to complementary contributions and unequal rewards, without making either contribution automatically more valuable.
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A contribution suited to an early stage can help a task begin, while an oversized demand may overwhelm it. The sticks-and-fire contrast values fit and timing, without providing literal fire-building advice or making smallness inherently better.
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A poor initial arrangement can shape the finished result. Crooked placement in the oven stands for a mistake made before a process has properly begun.
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The saying makes attention to livestock and stored grain the basis of enough provision. It names specific household resources rather than relying on a general wish for prosperity.
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Pay attention to the opportunity or interest that matters most to your purpose. The advice favors practical focus, while leaving open whether pursuing that advantage is fair or worth its costs.
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An early delay can leave later tasks competing for less time. The saying warns about a schedule’s knock-on effects, not a rule that every slow morning ruins the whole day.
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Use favourable conditions while they last. Preparing or completing a task during a suitable period can help you avoid difficulties when those conditions change.
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Keep the demands of an undertaking within what can support them. Sail and ship represent ambition and capacity, encouraging a suitable balance rather than assuming that larger plans are always unwise.
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When a choice has already turned out poorly, look for the best workable next step. You may still reduce the loss or recover something useful.
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Human effort has limits; the speaker places the final outcome within God’s will. Doing what one can is distinguished from controlling everything that happens.
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Several small contributions can produce a substantial combined result. The drops-and-shower comparison invites attention to accumulation, without assuming every repeated action is useful or that individual circumstances do not matter.
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A demanding task can become easier when several people share the work. Help is most useful when everyone understands their contribution and the effort is sensibly divided.
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A larger quantity of speech does not itself provide a required resource or result. The unfilled bushel questions substituting repeated words for a practical contribution, without making every long discussion unproductive.
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Check the important details before taking an action that is difficult to reverse. A small amount of preparation can prevent an avoidable mistake, without requiring endless checking.
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Enjoyment can feel uncomplicated until the responsibilities attached to it become clear. The feast and its reckoning contrast immediate pleasure with the later account, without condemning celebration or predicting that enjoyment must end badly.
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When the intended use of something is unavailable, consider whether another suitable use is possible. The saying encourages adaptation to a constraint rather than insisting that the original plan is the only worthwhile outcome.
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Restricting a tool or person in a way that prevents its function makes the expected result unlikely. A hindered cat cannot perform the task it is judged by.
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