Wine will not keep in a foul vessel.
Wine will not keep in a foul vessel.
Meaning in plain English
Poor preparation can spoil what is put into a process. Attend to the condition of the container, tools or information before expecting a sound result.
Example
A team imports accurate addresses into an old mailing list containing conflicting duplicates. It cleans the list first so the new information is not mishandled.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The vessel matters as well as the wine. The proverb gives a concrete image of how an overlooked condition can undermine something valuable. In another setting, a process may inherit problems from disordered records, unsuitable equipment or an unclear handover. Adding better material is not enough when the surrounding arrangement damages it. Identify and correct the relevant condition first. This is a practical metaphor, not a judgment that people who have made mistakes are permanently tainted or unable to change.
When to use it
Use it to check the condition of a process before adding valuable work.
Keep in mind
An imperfect starting point can often be repaired. Avoid extending the container metaphor into a fixed moral label for a person.
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 17; French section, paragraph 344; source wording: En vaisseau mal lavé ne peut-on vin garder.
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 ↗