proverb · Source-linked selection
Say no ill of the year till it is passed.
Say no ill of the year till it is passed.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Avoid judging a whole period from an incomplete part of it. Waiting until the year ends pictures the value of considering the full course of events.
What the words are saying
The saying postpones a final verdict while the year still has outcomes ahead. It can discourage turning one disappointing stage into a sweeping account of everything. It should not require silence about a present problem or delay needed action. A useful reading distinguishes a provisional observation from a final assessment and allows both to be revised as evidence grows.
Everyday example
A group records a disappointing start without declaring the entire project a failure before later work has been assessed.
When to use it
Use it to keep an overall judgment provisional while events are still unfolding.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
Present harms or urgent problems should be addressed before a final retrospective judgment.
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 1866 · Year
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English