A bad excuse is better than none at all.
Meaning: Offering some explanation, however flawed, preserves dignity better than silent admission of wrongdoing or negligence.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Morality
- A single fact is worth a ship-load of argument. — Concrete evidence settles disputes more effectively than prolonged debate or rhetoric alo…
- Fair and softly go far in a day. — Steady, moderate effort sustains progress better than rushed, forceful action that exhaus…
- A fair face may hide a foul heart. — Physical beauty deceives; assess character through actions and behavior, not appearance a…
- As good to be out of the world as out of the fashion. — Social irrelevance destroys one's sense of existence as thoroughly as physical death.
- Tis good fish if it were but caught. — Potential alone means nothing without the effort and skill required to seize actual oppor…
- There's as good fish in the sea as were ever caught. — Lost opportunities aren't final; future chances remain equally promising if you persevere.