proverb · Source-linked selection
He expects to find water at the first stroke of the spade.
He expects to find water at the first stroke of the spade.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Expecting water from the first stroke of a spade makes an outcome arrive before the necessary work. The image questions premature expectations while leaving room to assess whether further effort is worthwhile.
What the words are saying
The person wants the result at the beginning of digging. The contrast brings attention to the distance between starting an activity and reaching what it is meant to produce. A first attempt may provide information without delivering the final outcome. Give a reasonable process time while also examining whether the approach has a sound basis. The saying is not evidence about where water lies or a reason to continue digging indefinitely. Patience works with judgement; it should not become an obligation to persist with an unsuitable or harmful plan.
Everyday example
A learner treats the first practice session as a chance to identify what needs work, rather than expecting mastery immediately.
When to use it
Use it when a useful first step is being dismissed because it is not the final result.
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What it does not mean
Patience does not require endless effort; reassess the approach, costs and available evidence.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 195; Spanish section, paragraph 4074; source wording: A la primera azadonada quiere sacar agua.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.