Law of holes
Adage: "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging" From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The law of holes, or the first law of holes, is an adage which states: "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." It is used as a metaphor, warning that when in an untenable position, it is best to stop making the situation worse.[1][2] The second law of holes is commonly known as: "When you stop digging, you are still in a hole."[3]
Background
When it is said, "if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging",[4][5][1][6] it is because digging a hole makes it deeper and therefore harder to get out of.
Attribution
The adage has been attributed to a number of sources. It appeared in print on page six of The Washington Post dated 25 October 1911, in the form: "Nor would a wise man, seeing that he was in a hole, go to work and blindly dig it deeper..."[7][8]
In 1983, Bill Brock was quoted "Let me tell you about the law of holes: If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging."[9]
In the United Kingdom, it has been referred to as "Healey's first law of holes"[5] after politician Denis Healey, who used the adage in the 1980s and later.[4]
Malapropism
On 4 May 2024, British politician Suella Braverman wrote in The Daily Telegraph: "The hole to dig us out is the PM's, and it's time for him to start shovelling."[10] According to The Guardian, this sentence "does not make sense".[11]
See also
References
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