Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท A

A stitch in time saves nine

Meaning

If you fix a problem now, you save yourself more work later. It is a classic reminder to handle small issues before they become big ones.

Practical, cautious

Used in a sentence

  • Let us fix the leak now, a stitch in time saves nine.
  • I always do my filing weekly, because a stitch in time saves nine.
  • If you catch the cold early, you won't need weeks to recover, a stitch in time saves nine.

The backstory

This is a sewing proverb from the 18th century. If a seam begins to rip, one stitch stops the tear, but if you wait, you will have to sew nine stitches to fix the damage.

Heard in

Nationwide

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