proverb · Words worth keeping
A great ship needs deep waters.
A great ship needs deep waters.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A large undertaking needs conditions capable of supporting its scale. Check whether the available resources and setting fit the project before committing to its size.
Example
A group turns a proposed month-long exhibition into a smaller weekend display after checking the room, staffing and preparation it can realistically provide.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The great ship requires enough depth to move in the water imagined by the proverb. Figuratively, a substantial plan needs room, support or organisation proportionate to what it is trying to do. A large exhibition cannot be judged only by the enthusiasm for it; the venue, people and preparation must also fit. The saying does not praise size for its own sake or require every idea to become larger. If the conditions are too limited, reducing or staging the undertaking may be wiser than seeking resources indefinitely. Compare the actual requirements of the plan with the setting that must carry it.
When to use it
Use it when the scale of a plan is outgrowing the conditions available to support it.
Keep in mind
A smaller or staged undertaking may be preferable; scale alone does not establish value or justify unlimited resources.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English