He that lives not well one year sorrows for it seven.
Meaning: Poor choices compound over time; a year of vice breeds seven years of regret and consequence.
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.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- He liveth long that liveth well. — Living virtuously extends life's value beyond mere years; quality of conduct outlasts qua…
- A living dog is better than a dead lion. — Present survival and humble circumstances outweigh past glory or noble defeat.
- You needn't lock the stable door when the steed is stolen. — Prevention before loss occurs matters far more than remedies applied after damage is done.
- They look one way and row another. — Deceptive intentions hidden beneath outward appearances guide people toward false destina…
- Long looked for comes at last. — Patience with delayed expectations eventually yields results; persistence through waiting…
- He that longs most lacks most. — Constant desire reveals scarcity within oneself; craving signals deprivation rather than…
From our idioms
- чепуха на постном масле (chepukha na postnom masle) — Complete and utter nonsense or rubbish.
- пан или пропал (pan ili propal) — To risk everything on a single venture; all or nothing, sink or swim.
- до посинения (do posineniya) — To do something with extreme effort or persistence, usually futilely.