proverb · Words worth keeping
Always leave a little room for a mistake.
Always leave a little room for a mistake.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Leaving room for a mistake asks for an allowance rather than assuming perfect performance. It encourages considering uncertainty in an undertaking.
What the words are saying
Room is a margin image, not permission to be careless or conceal harm. The supplied gloss says not to carry a mistake to the end, a different emphasis. A useful interpretation asks what review, support or contingency the actual task needs without claiming that one fixed allowance suits everything.
Everyday example
A planner allows an appropriate opportunity to review and correct work instead of assuming no adjustment will be needed.
When to use it
Use it to discuss proportionate allowance for error with responsibility retained.
What it does not mean
No permission for negligence or universal contingency amount is established.
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 984; PDF page 137
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.