proverb · Source-linked selection
To burn out a candle in search of a pin.
To burn out a candle in search of a pin.
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 small gain may not justify a larger expense. Compare the value of what you are trying to recover with the resources spent in the search.
What the words are saying
The candle is consumed while the person looks for a pin. The search can therefore cost more than the object recovered. The proverb highlights proportionality: attention to a tiny loss can create a greater one in time, materials or effort. Before continuing, ask what the object is worth and whether another method would be less costly. This is not a rule that every inexpensive object is unimportant. Its practical value, scarcity or personal significance may make a search worthwhile.
Everyday example
A group spends hours trying to recover one easily replaced paper clip from a machine. It pauses to compare that effort with a safe, simple alternative.
When to use it
Use it when pursuit of a minor saving is creating a larger cost.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
A low monetary price does not determine all value. Safety, personal meaning and scarcity can justify extra effort.
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 19; French section, paragraph 377; source wording: Gâter une chandelle pour trouver une épingle.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.