# What does ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ mean?

To “a stitch in time saves nine” means to a small early fix prevents bigger later problems. Brewer's lists this among the classic English proverbs of thrift and prudence, recorded from the 18th century.

## What it means

- Brewer's lists this among the classic English proverbs of thrift and prudence, recorded from the 18th century.

## Action steps

1. Standard case for preventive maintenance.
2. Example: Fix the leak now — a stitch in time saves nine.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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