You needn't lock the stable door when the steed is stolen.
Meaning: Prevention before loss occurs matters far more than remedies applied after damage is done.
Origin: One of the oldest warnings against acting too late. John Gower's Confessio Amantis (c. 1390) describes the man who, when the great steed is stolen, takes heed and makes the stable door fast, and John Heywood's 1546 collection has "When the steed is stolen, shut the stable door." Once the horse is gone, locking the stable accomplishes nothing.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- They look one way and row another. — Deceptive intentions hidden beneath outward appearances guide people toward false destina…
- Long looked for comes at last. — Patience with delayed expectations eventually yields results; persistence through waiting…
- He that longs most lacks most. — Constant desire reveals scarcity within oneself; craving signals deprivation rather than…
- Tis not lost that comes at last. — Delayed arrival doesn't constitute loss; what eventually reaches you remains gained despi…
- Lowly sit and be richly warm. — Humble comfort surpasses prideful exposure to hardship and cold.
- It is better to be born lucky than rich. — Fortune's favor opens doors that money alone cannot, offering unexpected advantages beyon…
From our tongue twisters
- Mit sütsz, kis szűcs? Tán sós húst sütsz, kis szűcs? — An 'sz / s / ts' sibilant duel — Hungarian's two close s-sounds collide in every word.
- Ibsens ripsbusker og andre buskvekster. — An 'sb / sk / busk' cluster trap that jams the tongue between the bushes.
- Rødgrød med fløde. — The legendary soft-d and rounded 'ø' test — the phrase Danes use to spot a non-native ins…