ProverbWisdomEnglish origin

The absent are always at fault.

Meaning: Those not present to defend themselves get the blame.

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, German, and Dutch

  • French: Les absents ont toujours tort (literally: The absent are always in the wrong)
  • Spanish: Ni ausente sin culpa, ni presente sin disculpa (literally: Neither an absent one without blame, nor a present one without an excuse)
  • German: Die Abwesenden haben immer unrecht (literally: The absent ones are always in the wrong)
  • Dutch: De afwezigen krijgen altijd de schuld (literally: The absent always get the blame)

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