Half a loaf is better than none
Meaning: Something is better than nothing.
Origin: John Heywood's 1546 collection gives "Better is half a loaf than no bread." Bread was the staple food, and the logic is a hungry person's: take the partial deal rather than hold out and get nothing. It remains the standard argument for accepting a compromise.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Faute de grives, on mange des merles (literally: Lacking thrushes, one eats blackbirds)
- Spanish: A falta de pan, buenas son tortas (literally: Lacking bread, cakes are good)
- Japanese: 無いよりはまし (Nai yori wa mashi) (literally: Better than having nothing)
- German: Ein halbes Ei ist besser als eine leere Schale (literally: Half an egg is better than an empty shell)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Don't reinvent the wheel — Don't waste effort on solved problems.
- Don't put the cart before the horse — Do things in the correct order.
- Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do — Sometimes unconventional paths lead to correct outcomes.
- Great minds think alike — Intelligent people often reach the same conclusions.
- Cross that bridge when you come to it — Deal with problems only when they arise.
- All roads lead to Rome — There are many ways to reach the same goal.
From our compliments & insults
- Peau de vache — A mean, difficult, and unpleasant person — tough and unyielding like tanned hide.
- Eres un aguafiestas — You're a killjoy — you pour cold water on everyone's fun the moment you arrive.
- ¡Qué cara más dura! — You've got incredible nerve and cheek — the audacity is almost impressive.