phrase
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
Fixing a small problem early prevents a much larger one later — the proverb of preventive maintenance.
Origin
First recorded in Thomas Fuller's *Gnomologia* (1732): 'A stitch in time may save nine.' The image is from tailoring — repairing a small tear in cloth before it spreads. The numerical 'nine' is for rhyme and exaggeration, not arithmetic. By the 19th century it was standard household advice and a Victorian sampler favorite.
Modern usage
Standard line for preventive maintenance everywhere — fixing the small roof leak, the early-stage cavity, the minor code bug, the relationship rift before it widens. The engineering and DevOps version is 'fix it forward' or 'shift left.' Companion proverb to [[haste-makes-waste]] and [[look-before-you-leap]].
Tags
maintenance
prevention
proverb