A plant often removed cannot thrive.
Meaning: Constant uprooting prevents deep roots and steady growth, whether literal or metaphorical.
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 Wisdom
- A smart reproof is better than smooth deceit. — Honest criticism that stings teaches growth, while flattery disguised as kindness poisons…
- God help the rich, the poor can beg. — Wealth grants access to assistance and favor, while poverty leaves only desperation as re…
- Riches are like muck, which stink in a heap, but spread abroad make the earth fruitful. — Wealth hoarded breeds corruption and waste, but distributed widely benefits entire commun…
- Better ride on an ass that carries me than a horse that throws me. — Practical utility and reliability matter more than prestige or impressive appearances.
- Follow the river and you'll get to the sea. — Persistence along an established path naturally leads to your destination, even without k…
- A bird can roost upon but one branch. — Individual focus and commitment matter more than scattered efforts across multiple simult…
From our untranslatable words
- Tutear — To switch to the informal tú with someone — a small, deliberate act of closing social dis…
- Puente — The day taken off to 'bridge' a midweek public holiday to the weekend, turning it into a…
- Vergüenza ajena — The squirming embarrassment felt on behalf of another person, who may be entirely untroub…