proverb · Words worth keeping
Whoso lacketh a stock, his gain's not worth a chip.
Whoso lacketh a stock, his gain's not worth a chip.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes a lack of stock render gain scarcely worth a chip. It contrasts a supporting resource with a small result judged insufficient.
Example
A group identifies the materials needed for a project instead of judging only a small early result.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Stock and chip give the comparison a compact material image, but the type of stock is not defined. A qualified application asks what resource an undertaking needs before its returns can become useful. It does not provide a financial calculation or claim that people without assets cannot accomplish valuable work. The exact setting remains open.
When to use it
Use it to examine an unspecified relation between resources and returns.
Keep in mind
The meaning of stock and the economic claim are not independently established here.
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