ProverbWisdom
English origin
English originSpoil not the ship for a penn'orth of tar.
Meaning: Neglecting small, inexpensive preventive measures risks losing something far more valuable.
Origin: The "ship" was originally a sheep. Shepherds daubed tar on cuts and sores to keep flies away, and to skimp on a pennyworth of it risked losing the animal; "ship" was how many English dialects pronounced sheep. Once the dialect word was forgotten, the saying was taken to be about boats.
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