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Words and Their StoriesLearning Expressions with VOA
Processed with VS1Understand expressions about waste while avoiding judgment about people’s needs or spending.
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Source: VOA Learning English · Words and Their Stories
View original article & transcriptThe episode looks at expressions built around “waste,” including “waste not, want not,” “haste makes waste,” and “waste your breath.” These sayings can encourage care with resources, time, and effort. They are general language advice, not explanations for poverty or a reason to criticize someone’s necessary spending.
Cultural note: People’s access to time, money, food, and other resources differs. Do not use thrift sayings to shame someone for spending on necessities or to imply that personal choices alone solve scarcity. “Waste your breath” can sound dismissive; use it carefully.
Keep exploringEnglish has a proverb about saving and another about rushing. Both ask us to think about how we use time and resources.
Phrase guide · 4 expressions
Original explanations and examples, created for learners. Save a card for later or hear the phrase spoken by your browser.
Talk about making careful use of what is available.
Meaning
A proverb suggesting that careful use of resources can help prevent shortages.
Tone & use
Often used as practical advice. It does not explain systemic hardship or make it appropriate to judge someone’s needs.
Example
“We saved the leftover wood for a later repair—waste not, want not.”
Describe how haste can lead to extra work.
Meaning
Rushing can cause mistakes that require more time or resources to fix.
Tone & use
A proverb used to encourage careful work rather than speed for its own sake.
Example
“We checked the measurements twice because haste makes waste.”
Recognize when more words or effort may not help.
Meaning
Spend time speaking when the listener is unlikely to be persuaded or respond.
Tone & use
Can sound discouraging or rude. Avoid using it to shut down someone who deserves to be heard.
Example
“Rather than waste her breath arguing in the crowded hallway, she requested a private meeting.”
Meaning
An activity that seems to use time without a worthwhile result.
Tone & use
Subjective and sometimes dismissive. Explain what outcome was missing rather than belittling another person’s effort.
Example
“The search felt like a waste of time until we changed the keywords and found the right record.”
Knowledge check
Choose the expression that best fits each situation.
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