Marry in haste, repent at leisure
Meaning: (by extension) Joining (or merging) two things together too soon will lead to problems.
Origin: From William Congreve's comedy The Old Bachelor (1693): "Thus grief still treads upon the heels of pleasure: / Married in haste, we may repent at leisure." A hasty wedding, it warns, leaves a lifetime to regret it.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, German, and Italian
- French: Qui se marie à la hâte, se repent à loisir (literally: Marry in haste and repent at leisure)
- Spanish: Antes que te cases, mira lo que haces (literally: Before you marry, look at what you are doing)
- German: Heiraten in Eile bereut man mit Weile (literally: Marrying in haste, one regrets at leisure)
- Italian: Chi si marita in fretta, stenta adagio (literally: Marry in haste, repent at leisure)
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