There's never enough where nothing's left.
Meaning: Hoarding depletes resources faster than sharing them, making scarcity worse for everyone.
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.
More proverbs about Perseverance
- Tis a hard battle where none escapes. — In conflicts where everyone suffers losses, victory itself becomes meaningless and costly.
- He had need rise betimes that would please everybody. — Rising early cannot satisfy conflicting demands; some desires are inherently incompatible.
- You should never touch your eye but with your elbow. — Protecting your eyes requires maintaining impossible distance from contamination.
- Faint heart never won a fair lady. — Romantic success requires courage; passive timidity guarantees failure in matters of love.
- Keeping from falling is better than helping up. — Prevention of harm requires less effort and causes less suffering than recovery from it.
- A famine in England begins at the horse-manger. — Poor grain management for livestock presages broader scarcity throughout the land.
From our compliments & insults
- Du hast ein Händchen dafür — You have a real knack — a natural gift that makes difficult things look easy.
- Du hast Köpfchen — You're sharp and clever — you use your brain well.
- Du bist klasse — You're brilliant — excellent, impressive, top-notch.