proverb · Words worth keeping
A stumble may prevent a fall.
A stumble may prevent a fall.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying suggests that a stumble may prevent a fall. A smaller setback can reveal a problem before it becomes larger.
What the words are saying
May leaves the outcome possible rather than certain. A useful interpretation notices a warning and asks what can be learned or changed. The supplied business example does not establish that a particular closure prevented losses, and the phrase is not a reason to create avoidable setbacks.
Everyday example
A minor scheduling mistake prompts someone to check the rest of a plan before proceeding.
When to use it
Use it to discuss learning from a warning with the possible benefit qualified.
What it does not mean
A setback does not guarantee prevention of greater harm or verify a business outcome.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 407; PDF page 61
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.