Better go about than fall into the ditch.

Meaning: Taking an indirect, longer route safely beats risking catastrophe through the shortest path.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Wisdom

• Gold goes in at any gate, except Heaven's. — Wealth opens worldly doors but cannot purchase spiritual salvation or divine favor.
• The gown is hers who wears it, and the world is his who enjoys it. — Possession belongs to those who actively use something, not merely own it formally.
• While the grass grows the steed starves. — Delay in acting allows opportunities to slip away while waiting for ideal conditions that…
• Grass grows not upon the highway. — Constant traffic wears away growth; neglected paths flourish while heavily used routes re…
• There would be no great ones if there were no little. — Greatness requires a foundation of ordinary people and humble tasks to build upon and ele…
• A great ship needs deep waters. — Significant ambitions require sufficient resources and circumstances to achieve their ful…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…