The wrong doer is never without a pretext.
The wrong doer is never without a pretext.
Meaning in plain English
A person accused of wrongdoing may offer a convenient explanation instead of accepting responsibility. Examine whether the reason addresses what happened, without assuming that every defence is merely an excuse.
Example
A coordinator asks how an explanation relates to an agreed responsibility instead of accepting a convenient story or rejecting it without checking.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The wrongdoer is pictured as never lacking a pretext. The exaggeration points to explanations that protect the speaker while avoiding the issue. Ask whether the account fits the evidence and whether it recognises any responsibility that is established. That inquiry also protects against the reverse error: dismissing a valid explanation simply because someone has been accused. A reason can clarify circumstances rather than evade them. The saying is best used to examine an account, not to declare guilt before the relevant facts have been considered.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish a reason that explains events from one that merely avoids responsibility.
Keep in mind
An accusation is not proof; listen fairly and check evidence before deciding that a defence is a pretext.
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 197; Spanish section, paragraph 4117; source wording: Al que mal hace, nunca le falta achaque.
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 ↗