proverb · Legacy record
When a man repeats a promise again and again, he means to fail you.
When a man repeats a promise again and again, he means to fail you.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying interprets repeated promises as an intention not to fulfil them. It voices distrust of assurances that keep replacing action.
What the words are saying
Means to fail makes a claim about motive that repetition alone cannot prove. A qualified reading can ask for evidence, a concrete arrangement or an honest limit without diagnosing deliberate deceit. Some repetition may be reassurance, clarification or an attempt to correct a misunderstanding.
Everyday example
Someone asks what has changed after a repeated assurance rather than assuming its repetition proves malicious intent.
When to use it
Use it critically to examine the gap between repeated words and action.
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What it does not mean
Repeated promises do not alone establish intent to deceive or certain nonfulfilment.
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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 958; PDF page 134
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.