Spoil 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.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Rich men's spots are covered with money. — Wealth allows the privileged to hide their flaws and escape consequences that ordinary pe…
- Throw a sprat to catch a whale. — Small initial sacrifices yield disproportionately larger gains when investments are strat…
- Do not spur a free horse. — Pushing someone already willing to help creates resistance instead of cooperation.
- Standers by see more than the gamesters. — Detached observers perceive patterns and opportunities that active participants miss thro…
- The higher the standing the lower the fall. — Elevated positions carry greater vulnerability to catastrophic collapse due to accumulate…
- Stars are not seen during sunshine. — Greatness becomes invisible when overwhelmed by more dominant presences or circumstances.
From our idioms
- not hold a candle to someone — Not equal to someone or something; when two persons or things are compared, the first one…
- hold one's horses — To stay calm or be patient when someone wants to hurry.
- hold one's own — To be able to withstand opposition or attack; to do just as well as other people.