
ProverbWisdom
English origin
Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.
Meaning: Arriving early prevents missing opportunities, while lateness—no matter how brief—causes irreversible loss.
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.
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