イディオム

a stitch in time saves nine

小さな問題のうちに手を打てば、後で大事にならずに済む。

一般中級一般的

advicecommonintermediate

Meaning

Fix a small problem early to prevent it from becoming a much bigger one later.

Origin

From sewing: making one timely stitch to repair a small tear prevents the need for many stitches later. Recorded in English proverb collections from at least the 18th century.

Examples

I fixed the loose button right away—a stitch in time saves nine.

彼は取れかけたボタンをすぐに直した。「早めの手当てが後の大事を防ぐ」ってね。

If we patch that small leak now, a stitch in time saves nine.

今のうちにその小さな水漏れを直せば、早めの手当てが後の大事を防ぐ。

She backed up her files every week, believing that a stitch in time saves nine.

彼女は「早めの手当てが後の大事を防ぐ」と信じて、毎週ファイルをバックアップしていた。

Let’s address this customer complaint today; a stitch in time saves nine.

この顧客からの苦情は今日中に対応しよう。早めの手当てが後の大事を防ぐ。

He scheduled the dentist appointment early, saying a stitch in time saves nine.

彼は「早めの手当てが後の大事を防ぐ」と言って、早めに歯医者の予約を入れた。

Notes (English)

A common proverb used to advise prompt action or preventative maintenance. Slightly old-fashioned in tone but still widely understood.

Grammar & Usage Notes (English)

Usually used as a whole proverb, often after a suggestion: “A stitch in time saves nine.” The wording is fairly fixed; sometimes appears as “A stitch in time…” without the ending.

類義語・近い表現

take care of it now, nip it in the bud, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, fix it before it gets worse

反義語

procrastination pays off, leave well enough alone