Sloth is the mother of poverty.
Meaning: Idleness breeds want because accumulated inaction prevents accumulation of resources or opportunity.
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.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Paresse est mère de pauvreté (literally: Laziness is the mother of poverty)
- Spanish: Pereza, llave de pobreza (literally: Sloth is the key of poverty)
- Japanese: 稼ぐに追いつく貧乏なし (Kasegu ni oitsuku binbō nashi) (literally: No poverty can catch up with hard work)
- German: Fleiß bringt Brot, Faulheit Not (literally: Diligence brings bread, laziness brings want)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Better are small fish than an empty dish. — Modest sustenance surpasses pride's hunger; accept what you have rather than starve waiti…
- He that despiseth small things shall fall by little and little. — Neglecting minor problems allows them to accumulate into catastrophic failure.
- A snow year, a rich year. — Abundant winter snow ensures adequate spring water for crops and pastures, bringing prosp…
- He that goes softly goes surely. — Moving with deliberate care and caution leads to reliable progress without missteps or re…
- Soldiers in peace are like chimneys in summer. — Idle warriors without conflict become useless burdens, their skills and purpose rendered…
- A fat sorrow is better than a lean one. — Sharing grief with others diminishes its burden; isolation amplifies even minor sorrows.
From our false friends
- Firma — Actually means 'signature'. Metti la tua firma = Put your signature here.
- Magazzino — Actually means 'warehouse' or 'storeroom'. A magazine (periodical) is una rivista.
- Conveniente — Actually means 'affordable', 'good value', or 'suitable'. È conveniente = It's a good dea…