proverb · Source-linked selection
At an ambuscade of villains a man does better with his feet than his hands.
At an ambuscade of villains a man does better with his feet than his hands.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
When someone is trapped by hostile people, getting away can be wiser than fighting. The contrast between feet and hands challenges the assumption that courage always requires confrontation.
What the words are saying
The ambuscade places the person at a disadvantage: the encounter has been arranged against him. Feet offer departure where hands would attempt a fight. Applied beyond that scene, recognising an unfair or escalating encounter can be a better use of judgement than proving strength within it. This is not a tactical instruction or a promise that escape is always possible. Nor does leaving make a person cowardly. The useful question is whether staying serves a worthwhile purpose or merely accepts the terms set by someone else.
Everyday example
A volunteer leaves a meeting that has become a hostile personal attack and asks to discuss the actual issue later with a fair chair present.
When to use it
Use it to question whether confrontation is useful in an encounter arranged against you.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
Leaving is not always possible; do not blame someone who is trapped or treat this image as a safety plan.
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 (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 194; Spanish section, paragraph 4045; source wording: A celada de bellacos, mejor es el hombre por los pies que por los manos.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.