Old praise dies, unless you feed it.
Meaning: Reputation requires constant reinforcement; past accomplishments fade without continued excellence and reminders.
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
- Prate is but prate; 'tis money buys land. — Mere talk accomplishes nothing; only concrete wealth and resources achieve real, lasting…
- He that would learn to pray let him go to sea. — Facing life's uncontrollable forces reveals humanity's powerlessness and awakens genuine…
- There's nothing agrees worse than a proud mind and a beggar's purse. — Pride blinds the poor to accepting help or lowering expectations to match their circumsta…
- Proverbs are the texts of common life. — Wisdom emerges not from theoretical abstractions but from observing patterns in ordinary…
- He that pryeth into every cloud, may be stricken with a thunder-bolt. — Excessive curiosity about dangerous or forbidden matters invites the very harm one seeks…
- Pull gently on a weak rope. — Excessive force on fragile things causes them to break; restraint and care preserve what'…
From our compliments & insults
- Griesgram — A perpetual grump who radiates dissatisfaction and sucks the joy out of every room.
- Pantoffelheld — A man who is only bold and brave at home — a henpecked pushover who bluster turns into a…
- Schlauberger — A know-it-all smartass who never misses a chance to show off their cleverness.