proverb · Words worth keeping
All cats love fish but hate to get their paws wet.
All cats love fish but hate to get their paws wet.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes cats want fish while resisting wet paws. As an analogy, wanting a result can conflict with accepting what pursuing it involves.
What the words are saying
The contrast names desire and reluctance without establishing that a particular cost is necessary. A useful application checks the actual requirements instead of blaming caution as laziness or cowardice. The phrase is not a verified description of every cat or advice to accept dangerous risks.
Everyday example
Someone checks what a desired task really requires before deciding whether to proceed.
When to use it
Use it to discuss desire and reluctance with the actual requirements examined.
What it does not mean
Not every proposed cost is necessary or reasonable, and caution need not be a fault.
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 489; PDF page 72
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.