“Better late than never” is a proverb that means it’s better to do something late than not at all. It can be used for relief, sarcasm, or consolation. It originated from a Latin proverb and was used by Geoffrey Chaucer in “Canterbury Tales”. It can be used as an apology or complaint for being late and is related to “it’s never too late” for trying something new.
“Better late than never” is a proverb used to indicate that it is better to have done something even if it is later than expected. The phrase is literal and can be used in a variety of ways to indicate relief, sarcasm, and to give consolation to others. It is related to a number of other phrases and proverbs such as “if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well”.
The phrase “better late than never” is believed to be a direct translation of a Latin proverb. It was recorded for the first time as “potiusque sero quam nunquam” by Tito Livio in his “History of Rome”. The phrase found its way into English later. How this happened is not known. It may have been translated from Latin works or become part of the everyday vernacular in Latin and transmitted to the change of languages.
Geoffrey Chaucer used a variation of the phrase in his “Canterbury Tales”. The phrase appears in “Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale”. Both characters are absent from the prologue and join the merry band later on as they make their way to Canterbury. Both are described as alchemists and Chaucer’s distaste for both is evident.
The sentence does not refer to their late arrival, but to what actions should be taken. The full line is: “You who used it, I advise you to do it, lest you lose everything; because I bet it’s never late; never prosper, they were too long a date. Chaucer is basically saying that there is never too much time for something to thrive, but being late is not. Its form of this sentence is written as “to bet that it is never late”.
“Better late than never” can be used as both an apology and a terse complaint for being late. If a student is late for a lecture or late in submitting an essay, the professor may say such a phrase. The cheeky student can also take a stab at the humor by using it.
The uses of the phrase vary according to the situation and the person using it. It can be used as a means of apology or apology by the late person. It can also be used as a sign of relief or sarcasm by those who receive the goods late or left on hold. A third person, an observer, might offer the sentence as a consolation.
The proverb is also related to “it’s never too late”, meaning that it’s never too late to stop something or to try something. Quitting smoking later in life is “better late than never,” as is making time to explore new types of music, travel the world, or get to grips with Woody Allen movies. This doesn’t mean that these things are necessarily better later in life.
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