# What does the proverb 'Abandon fait larron' mean?

The French proverb means 'opportunity makes the thief' — neglecting to guard one's goods leads others into temptation. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), human-proofread transcription on English Wikisource records: “As opportunity makes the thief, the person who neglects to take proper care of his goods, leads into temptation, hence the proverb, "Neglect leads to theft."”

## What it means

- Verbatim from Brewer's (1898): As opportunity makes the thief, the person who neglects to take proper care of his goods, leads into temptation, hence the proverb, "Neglect leads to theft."

## Action steps

1. Modern usage: The French proverb means 'opportunity makes the thief' — neglecting to guard one's goods leads others into temptation.
2. When quoting the origin, cite Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — this is a 19th-century record, not a modern etymology.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Wikisource proofread text](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Brewer%27s_Dictionary_of_Phrase_and_Fable/Abandon_fait_larron)

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