Though good be good yet better carries it.
Meaning: Excellence demands continuous improvement; settling for mere goodness invites complacency when superiority remains achievable.
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 Morality
- Good harvests make men prodigal, bad ones provident. — Abundance breeds carelessness; scarcity teaches careful resource management through hard…
- It is no use throwing good money after bad. — Pouring additional resources into a failing project only multiplies losses instead of sal…
- A man may lose his goods for want of demanding them. — Passivity in protecting one's own interests invites others to encroach upon or deny right…
- God reacheth us good things with our own hands. — Our own efforts transform divine blessings into tangible benefits we can truly possess.
- A hand-saw is a good thing, but not to shave with. — Tools excel within their intended purpose; misusing the right tool for the wrong task cau…
- Tis safe riding in a good haven. — Safe harbor provides security; choosing trustworthy circumstances or companions protects…
From our compliments & insults
- C'est une vraie chèvre — They're hopelessly stubborn and infuriating — a goat that refuses to be moved.
- Casse-pieds — A massive bore or pain in the neck — someone who wears you down with their irritating way…
- Espèce de patate — You dim bulb — a potato being the very picture of inert, unthinking stodginess.