Stitches

what does a 'stitch of time saves nine' mean? is it ever not true?

isn't that a proverb? I really need to know an instance when it's not true that a 'stitch in time saves nine' thanks so much for answering

Public Comments

1. Although no native speaker of English, I think the proverb is "A stitch in time is saving nine", meaning literally that if you close a seam that is ripping apart in time, you don't need to close a bigger seam if you wait and the damage grows bigger. So if you do things in time, you prevent damage and having to do more to cover it up.
2. It means that if a job needs to be done go ahead and do it now or else it could get a lot worse. I think that is generally good advice. I can’t think of an instance where a job gets easier if you wait.
3. It's 'A stitch in time saves nine' If you have a hole in your jumper and stitch it straight away it will be ok. if you leave it, the hole will get bigger and you will need more stitches to mend it. In every day use it means if you have a problem sort it out as soon as you can, the longer you leave the problem the harder it will be to fix.
4. No, not a proverb, but a truism. You see, when you are sowing a garment and you 'drop' a stitch, which means that you make a mistake in your needle work, you will have to take out nine stitches and sew them again to make your stitch work come out correctly.
5. It has to do with the fact that every time the fabric of the space-time continuum rips, if it is not immediately repaired, an average of nine souls will be lost through the hole.
6. It's an aphorism which orginated in the north of England, meaning a little preventative maintenance saves major repairs later. I can't think of when it would not apply!