proverb · Words worth keeping
The list is worse than the cloth.
The list is worse than the cloth.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An outer edge may give a worse impression than the larger material it borders. Inspect both before deciding whether an unappealing detail represents the whole.
What the words are saying
The cloth and its edging provide a contrast between the main material and a part that frames it. Read the source image as a warning that a poor boundary or finish need not accurately represent everything within. The interpretation should remain tied to that comparison, rather than inventing a story about where the proverb began. Inspect what the weak part affects and whether the rest remains useful. An edge can be superficial, but it can also reveal workmanship or a defect that requires attention.
Everyday example
A restorer examines the sound central fabric of a curtain separately from a worn border before deciding whether it can be repaired.
When to use it
Use it to compare an unattractive detail with the whole it surrounds.
What it does not mean
An edge may reveal a serious defect; the proverb does not justify ignoring evidence simply because the centre looks better.
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 (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 29; French section, paragraph 579; source wording: La lisière est pire que le drap.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.