proverb · Words worth keeping
He that sows nothing plants thistles.
He that sows nothing plants thistles.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Neglecting a task can allow unwanted results to develop. The empty sowing and growing thistles contrast deliberate cultivation with what happens without it.
What the words are saying
The saying treats doing nothing as having consequences rather than as a neutral pause. It can encourage attention to maintenance, preparation or an unresolved responsibility. The garden image does not make constant activity necessary or prove that every problem follows from neglect. A useful reading identifies something that needs care and asks whether the person has the means and opportunity to provide it.
Everyday example
A group maintains a shared workspace before neglected repairs interfere with its use.
When to use it
Use it to examine an identifiable responsibility left unattended.
What it does not mean
Rest is not neglect, and unwanted outcomes can occur despite careful effort.
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
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1602 · Thistles
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English