proverb · Words worth keeping
It's ill healing an old sore.
It's ill healing an old sore.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A long-standing hurt or dispute may be harder to resolve than a recent one. The old sore gives persistent trouble a bodily image.
What the words are saying
Healing is used for making a damaged relationship or unresolved matter less painful. An old sore suggests something that has remained open through time, perhaps accumulating mistrust or repeated reminders. The saying can encourage addressing a problem before it becomes entrenched, or recognising why a delayed repair requires care. It should not imply that an old grievance is hopeless or that someone must forgive on demand. The image is figurative here and supplies no clinical prediction about actual wounds.
Everyday example
Two friends discussing a repeated misunderstanding acknowledge that rebuilding trust will take more than a quick apology.
When to use it
Use it to recognise the care required when addressing an entrenched hurt.
What it does not mean
Long-standing problems can change; the phrase is not medical guidance or a demand for reconciliation.
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 1185 · Old sore
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English