phrase
Haste Makes Waste
Rushing produces bad work — the proverb of every editor, surgeon, and carpenter.
Origin
Recorded in John Heywood's *A Dialogue of Proverbs* (1546): 'Some thynges that prouoke yong men to wed in haste, Showe after weddyng that haste maketh waste.' The internal rhyme made it sticky. The thought is older — the Roman *festina lente* ('make haste slowly') is the same advice.
Modern usage
Quoted at every rushed deadline, hurried surgery, fast-tracked legislation, and panic decision. Has its modern shadow in software engineering ('move fast and break things'); the backlash against that motto is essentially a rediscovery of this proverb.
Tags
patience
work
proverb