ProverbHuman NatureInternational origin

There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle

Meaning: Worn-out tools and aging people retain their value and capability despite visible deterioration.

Origin: A saying that age does not rob a person of skill or vigor, often said with a wink about romance in later life. It is sometimes called an Irish proverb, but its origin has not been traced.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, and Russian

  • French: C'est dans les vieux pots qu'on fait la meilleure soupe (literally: It's in old pots that the best soup is made)
  • Spanish: Gallina vieja hace buen caldo (literally: An old hen makes good broth)
  • Japanese: 腐っても鯛 (Kusatte mo tai) (literally: Even rotten, it's still a sea bream)
  • Italian: Gallina vecchia fa buon brodo (literally: An old hen makes good broth)
  • Russian: Старый конь борозды не испортит (Staryy kon' borozdy ne isportit) (literally: An old horse won't spoil the furrow)

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