Bad watch often feeds the wolf.
Bad watch often feeds the wolf.
Meaning in plain English
An ineffective safeguard can leave an avoidable opportunity for loss. Review whether a precaution works in practice rather than assuming that its existence is enough.
Example
A group confirms who will lock a storage room instead of assuming that someone else always checks it.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Poor watching feeds the wolf because it leaves the flock exposed. The image directs attention to a protective arrangement that does not perform its purpose. A person may rely on an outdated check, unclear responsibility or a routine no one actually follows. The practical response is to identify the gap and improve it. This does not transfer responsibility for deliberate harm to the person harmed. Nor does it promise perfect protection through constant vigilance. Good safeguards should be proportionate, workable and shared where appropriate, leaving people able to carry on ordinary life.
When to use it
Use it to review the practical effectiveness of an existing safeguard.
Keep in mind
No precaution removes every risk. Avoid blaming someone for harm they could not reasonably prevent.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 29; French section, paragraph 581; source wording: La mauvaise garde paît souvent le loup.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗