proverb · Words worth keeping
Plough or not plough, you must pay your rent.
Plough or not plough, you must pay your rent.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An obligation may remain even when the activity expected to support it is not performed. Ploughing and rent are separated, so stopping the work does not itself settle the payment.
Example
A club member checks the agreed cancellation terms before assuming that skipping an event cancels a previously confirmed booking.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The demand for rent is the same whether the tenant ploughs or not. As a comparison, a commitment can continue despite inactivity or a change in plans. Check what was actually agreed instead of assuming that leaving a task undone removes every obligation associated with it. The saying does not establish a valid contract or a universal rule about rent. Conditions, fairness and available remedies belong to the actual situation. It highlights a distinction rather than settling a legal dispute.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish not doing an activity from ending a commitment associated with it.
Keep in mind
This is not legal or financial advice; the actual agreement and circumstances must be examined.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (Spanish-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown