proverb · Words worth keeping
The beggar is never out of his way.
The beggar is never out of his way.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying pictures a beggar as never taking the wrong route. It suggests that someone seeking assistance may find a possible opportunity wherever they go.
What the words are saying
Out of his way makes the traveller’s purpose unusually flexible. A charitable reading recognises the search for help; a critical one notices how the wording may turn hardship into a joke. It does not establish that assistance is available everywhere or that a person in need has no destination, obligations or preferences.
Everyday example
A traveller seeks help at several places because the first approach has not met an immediate need.
When to use it
Use it to examine a flexible search for assistance.
What it does not mean
The image does not justify dismissing poverty or assuming help is always available.
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 96 · Beggar
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English