better late than never
Meaning: It is better to do something late than not at all.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “He finally called to apologize. Better late than never.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: An old proverb; the idea is found in the Roman historian Livy ("potius sero quam numquam"), and the English form is recorded from the 14th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Chinese: 亡羊补牢 (Wáng yáng bǔ láo) — literally: To mend the pen after the sheep are lost
More idioms — Daily Life
- be afraid of one's own shadow — To be very timid and easily frightened.
- a blessing in disguise — Something that seems bad at first but turns out well.
- when in Rome, do as the Romans do — Follow local customs when visiting a place.
- cut your coat according to your cloth — Live within your means.
- a guilty conscience needs no accuser — Guilty people give themselves away.
- big deal — Said sarcastically to mean something is not important at all.
More English idioms
- lightning never strikes twice — An unusual event, lucky or unlucky, is unlikely to happen again in the same way.
- teach your grandmother to suck eggs — To give advice to someone who knows far more than you.
- beauty is in the eye of the beholder — What one person finds beautiful another may not.
- play into someone's hands — To act in a way that unintentionally helps an opponent.
- make a hash of something — To do something very badly.
- play dumb — To pretend not to know or understand something.
From our compliments & insults
- Tu as le vent en poupe — Everything is going your way — you're riding a wave of momentum and success.
- Tu es un as — You're brilliant at what you do — the very best.
- Tu as de la répartie — You're brilliantly quick-witted — always ready with the perfect comeback.