proverb · Words worth keeping
It is no use crying over spilt milk.
It is no use crying over spilt milk.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying calls crying over spilled milk unhelpful to reversing the spill. It directs attention toward what can still be done after loss.
What the words are saying
The supplied gloss about familiar things describes a different idea and is not used to explain this wording. A responsible application acknowledges grief and disappointment rather than dismissing them as pointless. The past event and possible responses to its effects are distinct.
Everyday example
Someone acknowledges disappointment and then considers a suitable response to the consequences.
When to use it
Use it to discuss a next step after loss with feelings respected.
What it does not mean
An irreversible event does not make emotion invalid or every response useless.
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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 749; PDF page 107
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.