proverb · Words worth keeping
When knaves fall out, true men come by their goods.
When knaves fall out, true men come by their goods.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A dispute between people doing wrong may reveal what they concealed from others. The saying imagines harmed people recovering their goods through that exposure, but it should not promise recovery or make encouraging a quarrel a sound or safe strategy.
Example
Two organisers give conflicting accounts of missing club equipment, so members check the lending records and seek a clear explanation instead of accepting whichever accusation is louder.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The knaves are pictured falling out with one another, and their disagreement creates an opening for the people whose goods were taken. Figuratively, a broken alliance may bring previously hidden information into view. An accusation made during a quarrel is not automatically true, however, and exposure does not itself settle what should happen next. A constructive reading treats new information as something to check rather than an invitation to join the dispute. The saying also contrasts dishonest and honest people more neatly than real situations may allow. Its useful point is the possible fragility of concealment shared by several participants, not legal guidance or a guarantee that an injured person will recover what was lost.
When to use it
Use it when a disagreement brings concealed information into view, and verify that information separately.
Keep in mind
A quarrel does not prove accusations or guarantee recovery; do not provoke conflict as a remedy.
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