Better safe than sorry

Posted by ESC on May 10, 2000

In Reply to: Better safe than sorry posted by Liam Doherty on May 09, 2000

"Better safe than sorry. It makes sense (and is certainly safer) to take precautionary measures before anything bad happens. The proverb has been traced back to 'Rory O'More by the Irish Novelist Samuel Lover (1797-1868). First attested in the United States in 'Murder at the Hunting Club' by M. Plum. The proverb is found in varying forms: Better be safe than sorry. It is better to be safe than sorry. Better be sensible than sorry..." From Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

• Better safe than sorry ESC 05/10/00