proverb · Words worth keeping
When the well is dug it is easy enough to pump.
When the well is dug it is easy enough to pump.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Preparation can make later work easier. The dug well pictures a foundation that must exist before a routine operation can produce its result.
What the words are saying
Pumping is presented as straightforward once the difficult initial work has been done. The saying can encourage recognising the effort behind an apparently easy result. It does not prove that later work is effortless or that preparation removes every problem. A useful application asks which foundations are necessary and whether their maintenance has also been considered.
Everyday example
A group creates clear records before beginning a repeated reporting task, making later retrieval easier.
When to use it
Use it to recognise preparation behind a manageable later step.
What it does not mean
Initial preparation does not eliminate maintenance or all future difficulty.
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 1750 · Well
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English