Begging is an ill trade on a fast-day.
Begging is an ill trade on a fast-day.
Meaning in plain English
Seeking food or generosity is pictured as especially difficult when others are fasting. The saying puts a request beside a setting in which the expected resource is restricted.
Example
A community organises assistance in advance rather than assuming every household can provide food at the same moment.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Ill trade gives begging the language of an unpromising business. The contrast can illustrate a mismatch between a need and the circumstances of those approached. It need not make a universal claim about religious observance or people’s generosity. A useful application considers how to obtain support while respecting the actual situation of those asked.
When to use it
Use it as a contrast between a request and the available circumstances.
Keep in mind
Fasting does not establish an absence of compassion, and need is not merely a trade.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 100 · Begging
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 ↗