proverb · Words worth keeping
Time and tide tarry for no man.
Time and tide tarry for no man.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Time and changing conditions continue whether or not you are ready. Some opportunities require acting within a real window instead of expecting the world to pause.
What the words are saying
Tarry means wait. Time and the tide are presented as movements that cannot be held back for an individual’s convenience. The saying urges attention to deadlines, changes and chances that may pass. It is especially useful when delay depends on the assumption that the same conditions will remain available indefinitely. It does not require rushing every decision. Rather, it asks which parts of a situation you can control and which will continue without you. Recognising a real window can help you plan before urgency replaces choice.
Everyday example
A gardener orders plants before the community garden’s scheduled planting weekend instead of expecting the shared workday to move around his delivery.
When to use it
Use it when delay risks missing an actual deadline or changing opportunity.
What it does not mean
Not every deadline is fixed; distinguish natural or external limits from schedules that can be negotiated.
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 1622 · Time
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English