proverb · Words worth keeping
When ill luck falls asleep, let nobody wake her.
When ill luck falls asleep, let nobody wake her.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
When trouble has subsided, avoid needlessly restarting it. Sleeping ill luck pictures a problem that is temporarily quiet and best left undisturbed.
What the words are saying
Misfortune becomes a sleeping character who could be woken by interference. The image gives restraint an active role: choosing not to reopen a needless dispute may preserve a welcome calm. It can apply when revisiting a settled matter would serve no useful purpose. The limit is whether the matter truly needs no further attention. An unresolved danger or an injustice cannot be made harmless by calling it asleep, so the saying should not become a general argument for silence.
Everyday example
After a minor disagreement is settled, someone decides not to revive it with another unnecessary taunt.
When to use it
Use it when an avoidable provocation would restart a settled problem.
What it does not mean
Necessary repairs, accountability and safety concerns should not be ignored to preserve appearances.
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 847 · Ill luck
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English