Wit may be bought too dear.
Meaning: Cleverness obtained through deception, betrayal, or moral compromise exacts a hidden cost greater than its apparent value.
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
- He that lives upon his wits, breaks for want of stock. — A person relying solely on cleverness without resources or preparation will eventually fa…
- Wolves lose their teeth, but not their memory. — Even when weakened by age, enemies retain grudges and cunning, remaining dangerous throug…
- A wonder lasts but nine days. — Public fascination with novelty inevitably fades as the extraordinary becomes familiar an…
- To woo is a pleasure in young men, a fault in old. — Courtship befits youth's exuberance but reveals desperation or impropriety in the aged.
- One woodcock does not make a winter. — A single favorable occurrence cannot establish a lasting pattern or justify confident pre…
- One half of the world knows not how the other half lives. — Wealth and privilege create invisible barriers preventing the comfortable from understand…
From our tongue twisters
- 赤パジャマ黄パジャマ茶パジャマ (Aka pajama, ki pajama, cha pajama) — A rapid-fire drill on colour words; the syllable shift from aka/ki/cha trips the tongue b…
- 坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた (Bōzu ga byōbu ni jōzu ni bōzu no e o kaita) — A sustained 'b' and long-vowel drill — bōzu/byōbu/jōzu demand precise mouth control.
- 隣の客はよく柿食う客だ (Tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da) — A tricky spiral on ka/ki/ku that accelerates as you try to keep the syllables distinct.