a stitch in time saves nine

短语

小洞不补，大洞吃苦

释义与例句

prov.
  1. 1.

    A little effort expended sooner to fix a small problem prevents it from becoming a larger problem requiring more effort to fix later.

    小洞不补，大洞吃苦

    大洞吃苦

    防微杜渐

    事半功倍

词源

From the practice of mending a small tear in cloth when first noticed ("in time"), before it becomes a larger one requiring more stitches.

来源：wiktionary