proverb · Words worth keeping
No sport, no pie.
No sport, no pie.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes pie depend on sport. It puts an activity before a reward or provision, without defining the kind of sport intended.
Example
A group identifies the work needed for a shared celebration rather than assuming the result will arrive without preparation.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
No and no compress the link into a strict condition. A qualified reading can discuss an undertaking that supplies something later enjoyed, but the text does not establish a hunting custom or identify a particular game. Nor should it become a rule that essential food must be withheld until someone performs. Its useful question is what actually produces the desired result.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified analogy about an activity and its hoped-for reward.
Keep in mind
The activity is unspecified; the phrase does not justify denying necessities.
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