proverb · Words worth keeping
Begging is an ill trade on a fast-day.
Begging is an ill trade on a fast-day.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Seeking food or generosity is pictured as especially difficult when others are fasting. The saying puts a request beside a setting in which the expected resource is restricted.
Example
A community organises assistance in advance rather than assuming every household can provide food at the same moment.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Ill trade gives begging the language of an unpromising business. The contrast can illustrate a mismatch between a need and the circumstances of those approached. It need not make a universal claim about religious observance or people’s generosity. A useful application considers how to obtain support while respecting the actual situation of those asked.
When to use it
Use it as a contrast between a request and the available circumstances.
Keep in mind
Fasting does not establish an absence of compassion, and need is not merely a trade.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their 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
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English