Forgetting a debt doesn’t mean it’s paid.
Forgetting a debt doesn’t mean it’s paid.
Meaning in plain English
A forgotten debt remaining unpaid distinguishes memory from completion of an obligation. The saying warns that ignoring a matter does not resolve it.
Example
Someone checks the status of an agreed task instead of assuming it was settled because it has not been discussed.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The sentence is not legal or financial advice about whether a particular debt is owed, enforceable or discharged. A useful nontechnical reading checks what remains unsettled rather than assuming silence means resolution. Actual agreements, circumstances and fair processes matter.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified unresolved-obligation reminder.
Keep in mind
No legal debt status or financial outcome is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Country attributed by the collection
Ireland · source-attributed; earliest origin unverified
- Source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference
Supplied reference B; unit 837; PDF page 74; collection label: Ireland
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
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Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
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