proverb · Words worth keeping
If youth knew what age would crave. It would both get and save.
If youth knew what age would crave. It would both get and save.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Awareness of later needs can encourage preparation while circumstances allow. The saying connects youthful foresight with provision for another stage of life.
What the words are saying
Age is imagined to crave what youth could have obtained and retained. This can prompt a conversation about practical needs across time. It should not imply that younger people have equal opportunities or that older people are responsible for every shortfall. A useful interpretation balances present needs with foreseeable ones and considers shared support rather than assuming individual saving is sufficient.
Everyday example
A group plans how responsibilities can be shared as members’ capacities change instead of expecting everyone to provide alone.
When to use it
Use it to discuss future provision without assigning blame for limited means.
What it does not mean
Needs and opportunities vary; this is not financial advice or a guarantee of later security.
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 1874 · Youth
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English