ProverbWisdom
English origin
English originHe that lives upon his wits, breaks for want of stock.
Meaning: A person relying solely on cleverness without resources or preparation will eventually fail when quick thinking alone cannot sustain them.
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 attacher son chien avec des saucisses To be extremely tight-fisted.
- Un temps de chien Filthy, miserable weather.
- Mettre les bouchées doubles To work twice as hard in order to catch up.
Keep exploring