- English translation
Make use of the lesser coin you have until a sound one comes along.
- Literal wording
Play with the clipped coin until the full coin comes to you.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying recommends accepting and using an imperfect resource when it is the only one presently available. Rather than remaining idle while hoping for a better option, a person should make practical use of what is in hand for the time being.
Its image contrasts a clipped, reduced-value coin with a full one, reflecting historical dealings in such coins; a historical account attributed to Ibn Khallikān is cited in connection with this practice. The saying counsels patience in lean circumstances without treating present limits as permanent.
- When it is used
Use it to advise someone facing a temporary shortage to work with an inferior but usable option while awaiting improvement. Although its image is monetary and historical, it may be applied figuratively to modest means or limited opportunities.
- Register
- Colloquial proverbial saying
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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