He 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.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Wolves lose their teeth, but not their memory. — Even when weakened by age, enemies retain grudges and cunning, remaining dangerous throug…
- A wonder lasts but nine days. — Public fascination with novelty inevitably fades as the extraordinary becomes familiar an…
- To woo is a pleasure in young men, a fault in old. — Courtship befits youth's exuberance but reveals desperation or impropriety in the aged.
- One woodcock does not make a winter. — A single favorable occurrence cannot establish a lasting pattern or justify confident pre…
- One half of the world knows not how the other half lives. — Wealth and privilege create invisible barriers preventing the comfortable from understand…
- The world is his who knows how to wait for it. — Patience allows strategic advantage; those who resist rushing seize opportunities others…
From our idioms
- wear the pants in the family — To make the major decisions and have the greatest amount of power in a family.
- wet behind the ears — Young and inexperienced.
- wet blanket — A person who is seen as never wanting to take part in fun activities; a person who ruins…