Why does a stitch in time save 9?

Question

how come it is 9 and not 3 ...will a stitch in your side save you having 9 later on? and how can anyone sew a clock? hmmm

Answer 1

The phrase originated with T. Fuller, who wrote in 1732: "A stitch in time may save nine".

He chose "nine" for the assonance, to help people remember it.

Only Dr. Who can stitch up time.

Answer 2

a stitch in time saves nine....this saying means if you have a slow steady pace you dont make as many mistakes

Answer 3

It is a rhyme to teach us one of lifes truths.  If you sew up a hole in your sock, clothing in time before the tear gets bigger you will save yourself from having to do more work.

Answer 4

ha ha ha, 9 rhymes, 3 doesn't.

Answer 5

You can minimize a problem by taking a small corrective action now rather than waiting to later on. For example, if your clothes seam comes loose, refastening it with one stitch now will save you from having to make nine stitches tomorrow when the seam has loosened even more. Expanding on that, if there is a small plumbing leak in your house today and you fix it now, it will be less work than if you wait for a ceiling to be ruined too.

Time and nine almost rhyme making for a catchy easy to remember phrase, but you could as easily say, "A stitch in time saves six" or eleven, etc. to get the point.

2 years ago

Answer 6

if you take care of a problem early it saves extra work  taking care of it later

Answer 7

A stitch in time saves nine stitches. Meaning mend a problem before it gets too big. Pro-active.

Answer 8

9 is 3 in 3 dimensions.

3x3=9.