An honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.
An honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.
Meaning in plain English
The saying pairs honest pay with honest work. It presents fair compensation and a genuine contribution as matching responsibilities.
Example
A worker and organiser clarify the agreed task and payment before the work begins.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The repeated day gives both sides a comparable scale without specifying an amount or hours. A useful interpretation can discuss a fair agreement and carrying it out. The phrase does not establish wage law or promise that hard work brings promotion, as the supplied gloss suggests.
When to use it
Use it to discuss reciprocal fairness in an agreed exchange.
Keep in mind
No legal wage rule, promotion or particular amount is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 220; PDF page 36
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Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
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