proverb · Words worth keeping
'Tis folly to dig for lead with a silver shovel.
'Tis folly to dig for lead with a silver shovel.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A costly method can be disproportionate to the value of what it obtains. The silver shovel and lead invite a comparison between means and result, rather than assuming that any successful effort is worth its expense.
Example
A club avoids hiring elaborate staging equipment for a brief announcement that can be made clearly with its existing microphone.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The image uses a valuable tool to dig for a less valuable material, creating a deliberately lopsided exchange. Its broader reading asks whether a method consumes more than the resulting benefit warrants. Time, effort or scarce equipment may be spent on a task whose outcome does not justify that commitment. The comparison is not a current price quotation or a rule that a cheaper material can never serve an important purpose. Value depends on the actual need and context. The useful question compares the full cost of the chosen approach with the benefit sought and considers whether a simpler method would meet the same purpose.
When to use it
Use it when the resources spent on a method appear disproportionate to its purpose.
Keep in mind
Assess actual needs and full costs; the materials are an image, not present-day commodity advice.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English