proverb · Source-linked selection
A pound of care won't pay an ounce of debt.
A pound of care won't pay an ounce of debt.
In print by 1893 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Worry alone does not discharge an obligation. The heavy weight of care is contrasted with the small weight of debt to distinguish emotional burden from the practical steps that can address what is owed.
What the words are saying
The pounds and ounces make concern seem large beside the obligation it fails to remove. Care can be read here as anxious attention, and debt as something still owed or unfinished. The proverb points to the gap between thinking repeatedly about a problem and taking a feasible step towards it. It need not concern money: an overdue borrowed item or unfulfilled promise fits the comparison. A useful reading invites a concrete next action while recognising that some obstacles are beyond immediate control. Anxiety is not a moral failure, and the sentence should not be used to scold someone whose options are limited.
Everyday example
A reader sends a message about returning a borrowed book instead of repeatedly worrying about the delay.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish concern from a feasible practical step.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
The saying does not blame people for anxiety or obstacles outside their control.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional proverb
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1893 AD · industrial
In print by 1893: recorded in Dictionary of Quotations (1893). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Dictionary of Quotations (1893) (1893 AD)
Printed citation: Pr. · page_016
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.