ProverbWisdom
Italian origin
Italian originL'occasione fa l'uomo ladro
Meaning: People who would never plan a wrong may commit one when the chance is easy.
Literally: Opportunity makes a man a thief
Example: “Non lasciare il portafoglio sul tavolo del bar: l'occasione fa l'uomo ladro.” — Don't leave your wallet on the café table: opportunity makes the thief.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and 3 more languages
English: Where the hedge is lowest, men commonly leap over.
French: Où la haie est plus basse on saute dessus (literally: Where the hedge is lowest men jump over)
Spanish: La ocasión hace al ladrón (literally: Opportunity makes the thief)
German: Gelegenheit macht Diebe (literally: Opportunity makes thieves)
Portuguese: A ocasião faz o ladrão (literally: Opportunity makes the thief)
Dutch: De gelegenheid maakt de dief (literally: Opportunity makes the thief)
Russian: Плохо не клади, вора в грех не вводи (Plokho ne kladi, vora v grekh ne vvodi) (literally: Don't leave things lying about and lead a thief into sin)
Polish: Okazja czyni złodzieja (literally: Opportunity makes the thief)
Origin: Rossini used it, in the form L'occasione fa il ladro, as the title of a comic opera in 1812.
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- pendaglio da forca A person who deserves to be hanged; a worthless scoundrel.
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