proverb · Words worth keeping
Good take heed doth surely speed.
Good take heed doth surely speed.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Careful attention can help work proceed successfully. The saying praises taking heed before acting, while its confident promise should not be read as a guarantee that preparation prevents every difficulty.
Example
A print volunteer checks the final page size before making the full batch of programmes, then completes the run using the confirmed layout.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Take heed means pay attention, and speed here concerns doing well or making successful progress. The proverb links a considered approach with a favourable result. In ordinary work, noticing requirements, checking an instruction or allowing time to prepare may avoid a difficulty that haste would create. Care is not the same as endless hesitation, and success can still depend on conditions outside the person’s control. The useful reading names which check will help and then follows through on the task. It does not make an unsuccessful outcome proof that someone failed to care, nor does it offer a universal method of preventing mistakes.
When to use it
Use it when encouraging a relevant check or thoughtful preparation before proceeding.
Keep in mind
Preparation can help but cannot guarantee success; avoid blaming every setback on insufficient care.
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