ProverbPerseveranceEnglish origin1542

God sends meat, and the devil sends cooks.

Meaning: Abundance means nothing without the wisdom to use it well; poor execution ruins good fortune.

Origin: Good food is a gift, but bad cooks ruin it. The saying first appears in Andrew Boorde's Dietary of Health (1542) and was popularized by the writer Thomas Deloney later in the 16th century.

Equivalents in Italian

  • Italian: Dio ci manda la carne, ma il diavolo i cuochi (literally: God sends meat and the devil sends cooks)

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