- English translation
No harvest pile is without its rough stalks.
- Literal wording
Every heap, and it has its coarse leftover stalks.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that nothing comes entirely pure. Any large gathering of good things will carry some inferior part with it, just as a heap of fodder on the threshing floor always leaves coarse, stalky residue behind after it is gathered.
In practice it reminds listeners to expect a mix of fine and poor within any whole, stating this matter-of-factly rather than as harsh condemnation. It can soften disappointment over flaws, excuse a few weak members of a group, or caution against assuming that anything abundant is uniformly excellent.
- When it is used
Suitable when someone expects flawless results from a large batch, group, or undertaking. It gently points out that some poor portion is normal and should be accepted or sorted out, rather than treated as a reason to reject everything.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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