ProverbChallengeEnglish origin

On painting and fighting look aloof off.

Meaning: Maintaining distance reveals flaws invisible up close; premature judgment spoils both art and combat.

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.

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