- English translation
Once someone has given something up, they no longer bother with its small defects.
- Literal wording
Whoever sells the bull does not pick off its ticks.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb expresses the waning of care once a person has relinquished something. After deciding to part with it, they may no longer feel moved to correct its minor faults or attend to its condition.
Its image contrasts ownership with detachment: the effort of removing even small nuisances disappears when the thing is no longer regarded as worth keeping. It points to indifference that follows letting go.
- When it is used
Use it to remark that a person has stopped tending to an item because they have chosen to give it up. It suits situations where minor maintenance is abandoned after someone no longer intends to keep what they possess.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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