Better a bare foot than no foot at all.
Meaning: Poverty or hardship is preferable to total loss or complete deprivation of what matters most.
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
- At a great bargain make a great pause. — Suspiciously good deals warrant careful consideration before committing, as hidden costs…
- The greatest barkers are not always the sorest biters. — Loud boasting and threats rarely indicate genuine power or danger; true strength often ac…
- Sir John Barleycorn is the strongest knight. — Alcohol's intoxicating power surpasses physical strength, making it formidably dangerous…
- You cannot know wine by the barrel. — Judging quality requires direct tasting, not trusting containers or external appearances.
- Sow beans in the mud, they'll grow like wood. — Planting seeds in unpromising conditions—poor soil, hardship—produces unexpectedly sturdy…
- Beans should blow before May doth go. — Beanflowers must bloom early in May or the crop will fail to mature before frost arrives.
From our compliments & insults
- Schlauberger — A know-it-all smartass who never misses a chance to show off their cleverness.
- Dickkopf — A pig-headed, unyielding person — their skull is so thick no new idea can penetrate it.
- 空気が読めない (kūki ga yomenai) — Completely oblivious to the unspoken social mood — the person who kills the atmosphere wi…