delays are dangerous. (14th century)

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Meaning · English

Delaying action can lead to problems or disadvantages

Examples

Delays are dangerous, so we should make a decision now

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.

Equivalents & related

Common questions

What does “delays are dangerous. (14th century)” mean?

Delaying action can lead to problems or disadvantages

Is “delays are dangerous. (14th century)” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

What is the closest equivalent?

“bắt chước như khỉ” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.