proverb · Source-linked selection
The niggard spends as much as he who is liberal, and in the end more.
The niggard spends as much as he who is liberal, and in the end more.
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
Extreme reluctance to spend can create later costs that defeat the intended saving. The proverb questions an apparent economy without proving that greater spending is always better.
What the words are saying
Niggard is an old term for a stingy person; liberal contrasts a freer approach to giving or spending. The saying claims that excessive withholding can cost as much or more in the end. A useful reading examines the particular cost being avoided and what the choice makes necessary later. This is not a general verdict on careful budgeting, and generosity can also be misjudged. The contrast invites attention to consequences rather than admiration for the smallest immediate expense alone.
Everyday example
A group reuses containers that no longer protect its materials, then faces replacement work that a suitable purchase could have avoided.
When to use it
Use it to examine whether a supposed saving shifts or increases a practical cost.
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What it does not mean
Assess the circumstances; neither withholding nor spending freely guarantees the better result.
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 7; French section, paragraph 130; source wording: Autant dépend chiche que large, et à la fin plus davantage.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.