proverb · Words worth keeping
An untried friend is like an un-cracked nut.
An untried friend is like an un-cracked nut.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An untested friend compared with an unopened nut gives uncertainty a tangible form. The saying distinguishes a friendship’s appearance from what experience has revealed.
What the words are saying
A useful reading allows trust to develop through ordinary conduct rather than staged loyalty tests. Friends do not owe dangerous proof or unlimited support, and one difficult response is not a complete verdict. Mutual boundaries and circumstances matter.
Everyday example
Someone notices consistent kindness over time without setting a trap to test a friend.
When to use it
Use it to discuss gradually learned trust without manufactured tests.
What it does not mean
No duty to prove friendship through risk or unlimited assistance is established.
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
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
Japan
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 384; PDF page 38; collection label: Japan
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- Japan