Well-drawn wells give the sweetest water.
Meaning: Careful preparation and proper execution yield superior results worth the initial effort.
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 Wisdom
- I wept when I was born, and every day shows why. — Life's inevitable sufferings validate the infant's instinctive tears at entering existenc…
- A whet is no let [hindrance]. — Sharpening a tool causes only momentary delay before it works far more effectively than b…
- You may pay too dear for your whistle. — Pursuing trivial pleasures often costs more in dignity, money, or opportunity than their…
- There's ne'er a why, but there's a wherefore. — Questioning "why" proves futile; instead, seek the practical "how" and "where" of circums…
- Wise men are not caught by wiles. — Intelligent people recognize and resist deception through careful discernment, unlike the…
- None ever yet got fat on windfalls. — Unexpected gain alone cannot sustain you; reliable work and effort build lasting prosperi…
From our tongue twisters
- Pecyn o bersli heb ei brisio, prisio'r persli heb ei becynnu. — A 'p/b/pr/br' mutation drill — Welsh initial consonant mutations mean the same root sound…
- Capra neagră sare piatra, piatra-i neagră, capra-i albă. — A rapid 'c/pr/n' alternation that gains speed — and the colour-swap at the end trips the…
- Μια πάπια μα ποια πάπια; μια πάπια με παπιά στα παγωμένα νερά. (Mia papia ma pia papia; mia papia me papia sta pagomena nera.) — A 'pa/pi/pag' drill — the near-identical syllables pile up while the image stays perfectl…