proverb · Words worth keeping
As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying compares repeated folly with a dog returning to its vomit. The repellent image criticises going back to a harmful or regretted action.
What the words are saying
Returns and repeat make recurrence the point of the comparison. A useful application can identify what support or change would interrupt an actual pattern. It should not shame a person who is struggling or treat the animal image as proof of biology, motive or a fixed character.
Everyday example
Someone reviews a repeated mistake and changes the arrangement that helped it recur.
When to use it
Use it to discuss recurrence and constructive change, with the harsh image acknowledged.
What it does not mean
The comparison does not justify contempt or establish animal behaviour and a person’s motive.
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
- Not established
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 proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 156; PDF page 26
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.