proverb · Words worth keeping
An old sack wanteth much patching.
An old sack wanteth much patching.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Something long used may need repeated repair. The worn sack gives maintenance a concrete image and suggests the limits of simply patching an ageing arrangement.
Example
A group reviews whether repeated fixes to an unreliable process are enough or whether its design needs reconsidering.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
A sack that has served for a long time can be pictured as needing attention at several weak points. The saying can describe a tool, a process or an arrangement whose continued usefulness depends on repair. It may prompt comparison between another patch and a more thorough change. Its application should concern what is actually worn or failing, not a blanket judgment on old things. When applied to people, the metaphor is especially limited and must not turn age into a verdict that someone is defective.
When to use it
Use it to discuss maintenance of a specifically worn object or arrangement.
Keep in mind
Age alone does not imply poor quality, and people should not be treated as faulty equipment.
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