To a hasty demand a leisure reply.
To a hasty demand a leisure reply.
Meaning in plain English
A hurried demand need not dictate a hurried answer. The contrast gives the responder room to consider what is being asked, without praising delay when a prompt response is necessary.
Example
A volunteer receiving an unexpected request says when they can confirm their availability instead of agreeing instantly and cancelling later.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The demand moves quickly while the reply moves at leisure. That unequal pace can preserve judgement when pressure is doing the work that reasons should do. Ask what time is genuinely available and what needs checking before an answer. The saying does not make slow responses better by definition, and silence can create its own difficulties. Where a deadline or urgent need is real, explain what can be answered now and what requires further consideration.
When to use it
Use it to protect reasonable thinking time when a request arrives with pressure.
Keep in mind
Do not use deliberation as an excuse to ignore an urgent need or an agreed deadline.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 200; Spanish section, paragraph 4174; source wording: A presurosa demanda espaciosa respuesta.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗