The mortar always smells of the garlic.
The mortar always smells of the garlic.
Meaning in plain English
The mortar retains a trace of what it has held. The garlic image suggests that past use can leave an impression, without proving that people or situations can never change.
Example
A group changes an exclusionary meeting rule and also asks what would help former participants trust that the new arrangement is real.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The smell remains associated with the mortar after the garlic has been worked in it. Applied to experience, a past practice can leave traces in a place, a routine or people’s expectations even after its immediate occasion has ended. Ask what persists and whether a change needs attention to those traces. The word always intensifies the image; it should not be read as evidence that an old reputation is permanently deserved. A remembered influence is worth examining, but it is not a complete description of the present.
When to use it
Use it to consider the lasting traces of an earlier practice or experience.
Keep in mind
Do not use the image to deny change or preserve an accusation without current evidence.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 32; French section, paragraph 648; source wording: Le mortier sent toujours les aulx.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗