proverb · Words worth keeping
Good and quickly seldom meet.
Good and quickly seldom meet.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Good work and quick completion can be difficult to combine when the task needs care. The saying asks whether speed is compromising the result, without making slow work automatically good or prompt work automatically careless.
Example
An editor meets a deadline by using a clear checklist rather than removing the final check of names and dates.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The proverb puts quality and speed at odds rather than assuming they always arrive together. A useful reading asks which parts of a task need checking, preparation or revision before they can be considered finished. Cutting those steps merely to announce completion may leave an avoidable problem. But experience, a suitable method or a simpler requirement can also make good work quick. The saying therefore encourages attention to the task rather than a fixed preference for delay. Assess the result against what it needs to do, and distinguish an efficient process from a rushed claim of success.
When to use it
Use it when a deadline is threatening the care needed for the result.
Keep in mind
Fast work can be sound and slow work can be poor; check the process and outcome.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English