ProverbWisdom
Latin originc. 1023
Latin originc. 1023A rolling stone gathers no moss
Meaning: Those who keep moving avoid stagnation (or commitments).
Example: “He's lived in ten countries and owns a backpack; a rolling stone gathers no moss.”
Origin: Often credited to the Latin writer Publilius Syrus (1st century BC), though the usual Latin form, saxum volutum non obducitur musco, is not in the edited texts of his maxims. It is recorded in a Latin collection by Egbert of Liège around 1023, was spread by Erasmus, and appears in English in John Heywood's 1546 collection. Muddy Waters's song "Rollin' Stone" gave the Rolling Stones their name.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 4 more languages
French: Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse (literally: A rolling stone gathers no moss)
Spanish: Piedra movediza no cría moho (literally: A moving stone doesn't grow moss)
Japanese: 転石苔を生ぜず (Tenseki koke wo shōzezu) (literally: A rolling stone gathers no moss)
German: Ein rollender Stein setzt kein Moos an (literally: A rolling stone gathers no moss)
Italian: Pietra mossa non fa muschio (literally: A moved stone grows no moss)
Dutch: Een rollende steen vergaart geen mos (literally: A rolling stone gathers no moss)
Russian: Под лежачий камень вода не течёт (Pod lezhachiy kamen' voda ne techyot) (literally: Water doesn't flow under a lying stone)
Korean: 구르는 돌은 이끼가 안 낀다 (Gureuneun doreun ikkiga an kkinda) (literally: A rolling stone gathers no moss)
Turkish: Yuvarlanan taş yosun tutmaz (literally: A rolling stone gathers no moss)
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Tu as la tête sur les épaules You're grounded, sensible, and dependable — not easily swept off course.
- 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.
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