You use this proverb to say that it is better to spend a little time to deal with problems right now than wait. What is it, and when did it originate?

skysmom65

Cliché: Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today Explanation: 1. This is one of the most popular cliches in use. Often said by a parent or an elder at a time when someone is deciding whether or not to do do something, it provides clear directions not to procrastinate or delay what can be done now. Country: United States Origin: http://www.clichesite.com/content.asp?which=tip+1713 They gave no origin! Mar 02 07, 3:46 PM

skysmom65

This is much better: put off Delay or postpone, as in He always puts off paying his bills. This idiom, dating from the late 1300s, gave rise to the proverb "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today", first recorded in the late 1300s (in Chaucer's Tale of Melibee) and repeated ever since. http://www.answers.com/topic/put-off Mar 02 07, 3:49 PM

MaggieG 5

Or how about 'A stitch in time saves nine'? Origins are discussed here. http://www.idiom-magic.com/disc.htm Mar 02 07, 4:08 PM

lanfranco

That would be my pick, Maggie, though "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" could also work. Mar 02 07, 4:58 PM