proverb · Words worth keeping
Of little cloth but a short cloak.
Of little cloth but a short cloak.
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
A limited resource sets limits on what can reasonably be made from it. Adjust the scope to what is available or obtain more resources before promising a larger result.
What the words are saying
A short piece of cloth cannot become a long cloak simply because the maker wants one. The image gives a practical shape to resource constraints. Time, money and materials also place limits on a project. Recognising those limits early can support an honest plan, a smaller useful outcome or a decision to seek additional support. It is not a reason to reject ingenuity: careful design may make better use of what exists, but design cannot erase every constraint.
Everyday example
An exhibition has funds for three displays. Its organisers prepare three good displays rather than promising ten and leaving most unfinished.
When to use it
Use it to connect a project’s scope with its actual resources.
What it does not mean
Constraints can sometimes be changed. Seek support or a better method when merely reducing scope would miss an essential need.
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 15; French section, paragraph 301; source wording: De peu de drap courte cape.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.