proverb · Source-linked selection
He knocks boldly at the door who brings good news.
He knocks boldly at the door who brings good news.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Delivering welcome news can make a person feel confident about approaching others. The expected response affects how readily someone speaks or asks for attention.
What the words are saying
The confident knock comes from expecting the listener to welcome the message. Someone bringing a favourable result may enter a conversation more readily than someone bringing a difficulty. The image draws attention to the relationship between a message and its reception. It can help a listener notice whether their reactions make unwelcome but necessary information harder to report. A considerate response leaves room for both kinds of news. The saying describes an expectation of welcome, not a reliable test of the messenger’s honesty.
Everyday example
A coordinator congratulates a volunteer reporting success, but also thanks another who reports a problem early enough to fix it.
When to use it
Use it to consider how a listener’s response affects communication.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
Good news can be inaccurate, and unwelcome news can be valuable. Check the information rather than judging it by the messenger’s confidence.
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 (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 19; French section, paragraph 392; source wording: Hardiment heurte à la porte qui bonne nouvelle y apporte.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.