Give a thief rope enough and he'll hang himself.
Meaning: A criminal given freedom eventually exposes himself through his own continued wrongdoing.
Origin: Usually said of any wrongdoer: given enough freedom, they will bring about their own downfall. The historian Thomas Fuller used an early form in The History of the Holy War (1639), and by John Ray's collection of 1678 it was proverbial. The image is the hangman's rope.
More proverbs about Morality
- The thief's sorry because he is caught, not because he is the thief. — Criminals regret consequences, not their crimes; remorse born from punishment lacks genui…
- Set a thief to take a thief. — Fighting cunning requires cunning; only a dishonest person understands another's deceptiv…
- When it thunders the thief becomes honest. — Fear of divine punishment temporarily reforms even the most dishonest when facing greater…
- There is a tide in the affairs of man which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. — Seizing opportunities at their peak moment determines success; delay means missing favora…
- Trust not a horse's heel, nor a dog's tooth. — Animals show their danger through their vulnerable parts—beware those who reveal capacity…
- Truth hath a good face, but bad clothes. — Honesty may lack polish or appeal, yet its substance remains sound and worthy of respect.