Whoso lacketh a stock, his gain's not worth a chip.
Meaning: Without capital to reinvest profits, modest earnings disappear into daily expenses rather than building wealth.
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
- The full stomach loatheth the honeycomb, but to the hungry every bitter thing is sweet. — Hunger transforms perception; satisfied people reject what starving people gratefully acc…
- Between two stools he comes to the ground. — Trying to sit on two stools simultaneously leaves you falling between them, unsupported a…
- He must stoop that hath a low door. — Adapting yourself to constraints, however humble, requires humility and flexibility rathe…
- Weight and measure take away strife. — Precise accounting and fair standards prevent disputes over fairness in transactions.
- He that runs in the night stumbles. — Rushing blindly without proper awareness or preparation invites failure and missteps.
- He that stumbles twice over the same stone, deserves to break his shins. — Repeated failure from ignoring lessons demands no sympathy; wisdom lies in changing cours…
From our compliments & insults
- Du hast Köpfchen — You're sharp and clever — you use your brain well.
- Du bist klasse — You're brilliant — excellent, impressive, top-notch.
- 気が利く (ki ga kiku) — You're perceptive and considerately thoughtful — you notice what people need before they…