proverb · Words worth keeping
A word and a stone let go cannot be recalled.
A word and a stone let go cannot be recalled.
In print by 1893 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Once spoken, words can reach other people beyond the speaker’s control. The thrown stone illustrates consequences that cannot simply be withdrawn, encouraging care before release while leaving room for apology and repair afterward.
What the words are saying
The word and stone are paired because both leave the person who releases them. A speaker may wish to take a statement back, yet cannot erase another person’s hearing or every later repetition of it. The stone gives that loss of control a concrete image. The proverb encourages a pause before sending a harsh message or passing on an uncertain claim. It does not mean that a mistake makes repair impossible. A correction, apology or changed conduct can still matter, even though none rewinds the event. The useful distinction is between undoing an occurrence and responding responsibly to its consequences.
Everyday example
A member checks an angry draft before posting it to a group conversation.
When to use it
Use it to encourage care before speaking or publishing.
What it does not mean
Irreversibility does not make apology, correction or repair pointless.
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 proverb
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1893 AD · industrial
In print by 1893: recorded in Dictionary of Quotations (1893). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Dictionary of Quotations (1893) (1893 AD)
Printed citation: Pr. · page_025
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.