Good and quickly seldom meet.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Good work and quick completion can be difficult to combine when the task needs care. The saying asks whether speed is compromising the result, without making slow work automatically good or prompt work automatically careless.

What the words are saying

The proverb puts quality and speed at odds rather than assuming they always arrive together. A useful reading asks which parts of a task need checking, preparation or revision before they can be considered finished. Cutting those steps merely to announce completion may leave an avoidable problem. But experience, a suitable method or a simpler requirement can also make good work quick. The saying therefore encourages attention to the task rather than a fixed preference for delay. Assess the result against what it needs to do, and distinguish an efficient process from a rushed claim of success.

Everyday example

An editor meets a deadline by using a clear checklist rather than removing the final check of names and dates.

When to use it

Use it when a deadline is threatening the care needed for the result.

Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.