proverb · Words worth keeping
Reserve the master-blow.
Reserve the master-blow.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Keep the most effective step for the point when it can make a useful difference. The striking image encourages judgement about timing, without endorsing violence or making delay and surprise inherently better than open cooperation.
Example
A presentation team introduces its clearest comparison after explaining the question it answers, rather than placing it before the audience knows what is being compared.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The master-blow is imagined as the decisive stroke rather than every smaller movement before it. Figuratively, a person may consider when to use their strongest argument, resource or opportunity. The useful question is whether that step will address the issue at the chosen moment and what preparation is needed beforehand. Withholding it simply to impress others may make the arrangement worse. Some situations require prompt action or clear advance communication, and a supposed decisive move may not settle the whole matter. The saying is best treated as a reflection on timing and effectiveness, not instructions for harming someone or a rule against sharing information.
When to use it
Use it when the timing of a particularly useful contribution affects whether it will be understood.
Keep in mind
Do not delay necessary action or conceal essential information; the forceful image does not justify violence.
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