- English translation
A bankrupt trader begins combing through old ledgers.
- Literal wording
When the merchant goes bankrupt, he searches through his old account books.
- Meaning and lesson
Prosperity can make old accounts seem unimportant, but financial collapse sends a person back to examine them for a debt that may still be collected. The proverb portrays need as a force that renews attention to matters previously set aside, without promising that anything will be found or recovered.
Although its picture is commercial, the saying is not confined to traders or intended as a judgment about them. It may describe anyone who, after a setback, turns again to neglected earlier possibilities in the hope that something of value can still be recovered.
- When it is used
Use it when someone facing hardship returns to old papers, accounts, or previously neglected possibilities, hoping to find relief. Its merchant image can apply outside trade and should not be taken as a stereotype or as assurance that the search will succeed.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: A bankrupt trader begins combing through old ledgers.