proverb · Words worth keeping
He would not lend his knife to the devil to stab himself.
He would not lend his knife to the devil to stab himself.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Extreme reluctance to part with something is pictured as refusing even a request that would harm an enemy. The knife makes the refusal comically absolute.
Example
Someone refuses to lend an unused spare tool for a harmless task despite having no practical objection.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The expression imagines someone so unwilling to lend that they would refuse the devil a knife even for his own destruction. The absurd example heightens the accusation of stinginess. It can criticise an unreasonable refusal to share an ordinary resource, but the imagined violence is a rhetorical device, not an act to encourage. A useful modern reading asks whether the real request was reasonable and safe. Refusing a harmful or intrusive request may be entirely justified and should not be confused with the behaviour being mocked.
When to use it
Use it as an exaggerated criticism of unreasonable unwillingness to share.
Keep in mind
The violent image is not an endorsement, and people may reasonably decline unsafe requests.
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