- English translation
The thing you hold is closer than the thing tucked away in your pocket.
- Literal wording
What is in your hand is nearer than what is in your pocket.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying draws attention to degrees of nearness: something already in hand may be more immediate or accessible than another thing that is also one's own but kept elsewhere.
It can be used when a person overlooks what is directly available while focusing on something less readily reached. Its point is practical proximity rather than a claim that possessions in a pocket are unavailable.
- When it is used
Use it to emphasize that the most immediate option deserves notice before one turns to another, even when both options belong to the same person. It suits everyday remarks about access, convenience, or what can be used at once.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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