proverb · Words worth keeping
A hard man is good to find.
A hard man is good to find.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The line reverses the arrangement of good and hard in a familiar partner-seeking saying. The result is comic wordplay with a sexual double meaning.
Example
A reader compares the order of good and hard to see why the line is a joke rather than ordinary relationship advice.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The checked scholarly discussion identifies the reversal as a suggestive joke, so the supplied ordinary partner-search gloss misses its shift in meaning. A useful explanation focuses on how changing the word order changes the claim. It does not turn the joke into a standard for choosing a partner or establish an author or earliest use.
When to use it
Use it to explain a suggestive reversal with no relationship standard implied.
Keep in mind
The joke verifies neither dating advice, authorship nor an earliest origin.
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