Idle hands make work for the Devil
Meaning: Unoccupied minds drift toward mischief; productive engagement prevents moral corruption.
Origin: Saint Jerome advised in the 4th century to keep busy so that the devil always finds you occupied, and Chaucer repeats the advice. Isaac Watts put it into a hymn for children in 1715: "Satan finds some mischief still / For idle hands to do."
More proverbs about Perseverance
- Ill-gotten gains never prosper — Money obtained through dishonesty ultimately fails to generate lasting wealth or security.
- Misfortunes never come alone — Troubles compound—when one disaster strikes, others typically follow in succession.
- Never change a running system — Functional systems risk dysfunction when modified without pressing necessity.
- No time like the present — Delaying action until tomorrow squanders today's opportunities and capacity to accomplish…
- One's time is one's own — (uncommon) A time when one's work or efforts in a certain setting are free from constant…
- The Internet never forgets — Digital actions persist permanently; careless words or images posted online create lastin…
From our tongue twisters
- 黑化肥发黑会挥发；灰化肥发灰会挥发。(Hēihuàféi fā hēi huì huīfā; huīhuàféi fā huī huì huīfā.) — A 'hēi/huī/huì/fā' four-tone minefield — the tones alone change every meaning.
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. — A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. — The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.