
ProverbChallenge
English origin
Doing nothing is doing ill.
Meaning: Idleness itself becomes harmful; inaction allows problems to fester and opportunities to vanish.
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.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Ne pas valoir un pet de lapin To be entirely worthless.
- C'est la mer à boire It is an impossible or endless task — most often used in the negative.
- Faire son miel de quelque chose To turn something to one's own advantage.
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