proverb · Words worth keeping
An ill stake standeth longest.
An ill stake standeth longest.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying claims that a bad stake remains standing longest. As an explicit analogy, an unwelcome or poor thing may persist beyond what someone expects.
Example
A team reviews a long-standing unhelpful rule instead of accepting its age as proof of value.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Ill and longest make persistence frustrating rather than admirable. A careful figurative application distinguishes endurance from quality: surviving for a long time does not make something good. The wording does not explain why the stake stays up or establish a universal relation between weakness and durability. The useful question is whether a lingering problem still needs attention.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified analogy about unwelcome persistence.
Keep in mind
The literal cause and intended setting remain unspecified.
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