proverb · Words worth keeping
Ill got, ill spent.
Ill got, ill spent.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Resources obtained dishonestly may be used carelessly or harmfully. The repeated “ill” joins the way something is acquired to the way it is spent.
What the words are saying
The compact pairing criticises a pattern rather than explaining every transaction. A person who disregards responsibility in obtaining something may also disregard it when using what they gained. The saying can connect a questionable beginning with a disappointing outcome, or ask whether an apparent gain is worth its moral cost. It does not prove that dishonest gains always disappear or that waste reveals a dishonest source. The actual conduct still needs to be considered rather than inferred from the rhyme.
Everyday example
Someone who takes credit for another person’s work then handles the resulting responsibility without care.
When to use it
Use it to discuss responsibility in both acquiring and using a benefit.
What it does not mean
Dishonesty does not always bring immediate loss, and spending does not prove how resources were obtained.
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 845 · Ill got
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English