ProverbWisdomEnglish origin

Riches are like muck, which stink in a heap, but spread abroad make the earth fruitful.

Meaning: Wealth hoarded breeds corruption and waste, but distributed widely benefits entire communities through productive growth.

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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