proverb · Source-linked selection
That's but an empty purse that's full of other men's money.
That's but an empty purse that's full of other men's money.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Money in your possession is not necessarily money you are free to use. If it belongs to someone else or is already owed, a full purse may conceal a lack of available resources.
What the words are saying
The image separates the appearance of having money from having a rightful claim to it. A purse filled with borrowed funds or money being held for another person may look substantial, yet it does not represent unrestricted personal means. The saying warns against confusing possession with ownership or freedom to spend. It is not an accounting rule for every arrangement or a claim that borrowing is always wrong. Its useful question is what commitments attach to the resources you hold. Those commitments matter before deciding that the visible balance can support an unrelated purchase or promise.
Everyday example
A club treasurer keeps members’ event payments separate from personal spending rather than treating the collection as spare cash.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish held or committed money from resources actually available for another purpose.
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What it does not mean
Different agreements create different rights; the proverb does not determine the terms of a particular loan or obligation.
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 484 · Empty purse
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English