proverb · Words worth keeping
He is poor indeed that cannot promise nothing.
He is poor indeed that cannot promise nothing.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying links extreme poverty with being unable to promise anything. Its double negative is compressed, so a cautious reading focuses on lacking something one can confidently offer.
What the words are saying
Promise shifts the discussion from present possessions to future provision. This may invite compassion for someone with little room to make commitments. It does not mean a person without money has no value or cannot offer attention, knowledge or companionship. The phrase’s exact tone remains dependent on a setting not supplied here.
Everyday example
A group asks what assistance a participant can realistically offer rather than pressuring him to promise resources he does not have.
When to use it
Use it to discuss the limits of a credible offer with the wording qualified.
What it does not mean
The double negative is ambiguous; poverty does not determine a person’s worth or reliability.
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
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1296 · Promise
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English