ProverbWisdom
French origin
French originTrop de zèle gâte tout
Meaning: Too much eagerness ruins things.
Literally: Too much zeal spoils all
Example: “Laisse-le travailler à son rythme. Trop de zèle gâte tout.” — Let him work at his own pace: too much zeal spoils everything.
Equivalents in English, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 2 more languages
English: Too much liberty spoils all.
Spanish: Ni tanto ni tan calvo (literally: Neither so much nor so bald (avoid both extremes))
Japanese: 過ぎたるは猶及ばざるが如し (Sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi) (literally: Going too far is just like falling short)
German: Allzu viel ist ungesund (literally: Too much is unhealthy)
Italian: Il troppo stroppia (literally: Too much cripples)
Polish: Co za dużo, to niezdrowo (literally: Too much is unhealthy)
Chinese: 过犹不及 (Guò yóu bù jí) (literally: Going too far is as bad as falling short)
Origin: The idea is often linked to Talleyrand's advice to his staff, surtout, pas trop de zèle, above all not too much zeal, but that remark has not been confirmed.
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Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Avoir un poil dans la main To be incurably lazy.
- Tête de linotte A scatterbrain who can't hold a thought.
- Courir sur le haricot To get badly on someone's nerves.
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