No lock avails against a hatchet.
No lock avails against a hatchet.
Meaning in plain English
A protective measure has limits when confronted by a stronger or different threat. Consider what a safeguard can actually resist rather than treating its presence as complete security.
Example
A shared online folder has a password but no backup. The organiser recognises that the password cannot recover accidentally deleted files and adds a backup process.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
A lock may stop ordinary entry without stopping someone who destroys the door. The contrast shows why a safeguard must be assessed against the problem it is meant to address. More broadly, a rule or barrier can work well within its intended circumstances and fail outside them. Understanding that limit helps plan proportionate additional protection. The saying does not imply that locks are useless or that every imaginable attack must be prevented. Protection needs a realistic purpose and an appropriate level of effort.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish a safeguard’s function from complete protection.
Keep in mind
A limited safeguard may still be worthwhile. Assess plausible threats instead of pursuing an impossible guarantee.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 14; French section, paragraph 273; source wording: Contre coignée serrure ne peut.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗