Short as life is, we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time.
Victor Hugo (1802–1885) French writer, journalist, human rights activist, politician
(Attributed)
The earliest reference to this translation I find, with no citation, is in Maturin Ballou, Edge-Tools of Speech (1886). Nineteenth Century books of quotations such as this often paraphrase passages, especially in translation, so it is altogether possible this particular wording was crafted by Ballou.
Quotations about:
wasting time
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
RICHARD: I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet
Richard II, Act 5, sc. 5, l. 50 (5.5.50) (1595)
(Source)
In his prison cell.
MERCUTIO:Come, we burn daylight, ho!
ROMEO: Nay, that’s not so.
MERCUTIO:I mean, sir, in delay.
We waste our lights in vain, light lights by day.William Shakespeare (1564-1616) English dramatist and poet
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, sc. 4, l. 44ff (1.4.44-47) (1595)
(Source)
Other sources give the last line as "... like lamps by day."
Shakespeare is the earliest written source of the phrase "burn(ing) daylight." He used it again two years later in Merry Wives of Windsor (2.1), where Mistress Ford says, "We burn daylight" (without Mercutio's explanation).
Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no laziness, no procrastination: never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.
Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773) English statesman, wit [Philip Dormer Stanhope]
Letter (1749-12-26) to his son (#211)
(Source)
Chesterfield either loves the "Never put off" phrase or is very familiar with it: he repeats it a few months later in Letter 216 (1750-02-05), and then a few years later in Letter 309 (1754-02-26).
See Fuller and Franklin.
HARRIS: I call it performance art, but my friend Ariel calls it wasting time. History will decide.
Steve Martin (b. 1945) American comedian, actor, writer, producer, musician
L. A. Story (1991)
(Source)
HARRIS: I call it performance art, but my friend Ariel calls it wasting time. History will decide.
Steve Martin (b. 1945) American comedian, actor, writer, producer, musician
L. A. Story (1991)
(Source)
But time meanwhile is flying, flying beyond recall, while we, charmed with love of our theme, linger around each detail!
[Sed fugit interea, fugit inreparabile tempus,
singula dum capti circumvectamur amore.]
Virgil (70-19 BC) Roman poet [b. Publius Vergilius Maro; also Vergil]
Georgics [Georgica], Book 3, l. 284ff (3.284-285) (29 BC) [tr. Fairclough (Loeb) (1916)]
(Source)
After a lengthy description of the springtime mating habits of wild animals and horses, Virgil basically saying, "But I digress ..." (and, a bit more directly, "And there's fifteen minutes you're never getting back").
Origin of the phrase tempus fugit ("time flies").
(Source (Latin)). Alternate translations:But time irreparable hastes away.
Whil'st we with love transported waste the day.
[tr. Ogilby (1649)]But time is lost, which never will renew,
While we too far the pleasing Path pursue;
Surveying Nature, with too nice a view.
[tr. Dryden (1709), l. 448ff]But, while love's copious themes our course delay,
Time flits, irrevocably flits away.
[tr. Nevile (1767), l. 337]But time irreparable flies away,
While in the maze of love we fondly stray.
[tr. Sotheby (1800)]But time flies meanwhile, flies irretrievable, while we, enamoured [of the theme], minutely trace particulars.
[tr. Davidson (1854)]But time is flying, flying, and for aye,
And we, love's prisoners, on his circuit stray.
[tr. Blackmore (1871)]But time meanwhile is flying, flying past recall, while, enamoured of our voyage, we are coasting every point.
[tr. Wilkins (1873)]Fast flies meanwhile the irreparable hour,v
As point to point our charmed round we trace.
[tr. Rhoades (1881)]But lo! while we of love seductive sing,
Time onward flies, nor stays his restless wing.
[tr. King (1882), l. 293ff]But meanwhile Time, Time that cannot be recalled, is fleeting, while enamored of my theme I enter into all details.
[tr. Bryce (1897)]But time fleets meanwhile, fleets beyond recovery, while in loving enthrallment we pass on and on.
[tr. Mackail (1899)]But the time meanwhile is fleeting, is fleeting past recall,
While we hover around each flower of the field that holds us in thrall.
[tr. Way (1912)]But time runs by, irreparable time.
As mastered by my subject's charm, I course
Slowly from point to point.
[tr. Williams (1915)]But time is on the move still, time that will not return,
While we go cruising around this subject whose lore delights us.
[tr. Day-Lewis (1940)]But time slides past, slides past beyond recall,
While, spellbound, we drift off among details.
[tr. Bovie (1956)]But meantime it escapes us, time, never to be recaptured, escapes us while we linger over details, captivated by love. [tr. Miles (1980)]But time is flying, flying beyond recall.
While captivated I linger lovingly,
Touring from this to that.
[tr. Wilkinson (1982)]But meanwhile time flies, flies irretrievably,
while, captivated by passion, I describe each detail.
[tr. Kline (2001)]But meanwhile time flies, it flies beyond recovery
while, captive to each fact, we are carried away by love.
[tr. Lembke (2004)]Meanwhile, it flies, time flies irretrievably,
while captivated with love we ramble through minutiae.
[tr. Johnson (2009)]But meanwhile uncoverable time
Is flying, flying past us while we linger,
Enraptured by our theme.
[tr. Ferry (2015)]
Up, Sluggard, and waste not life; in the grave will be sleeping enough.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1741 ed.)
(Source)
The more haste, the worse speed.
James Howell (c. 1594–1666) Welsh historian, writer, aphorist
Paroimiographia [Παροιμιογραφία]: Proverbs, or, Old Sayed Sawes & Adages, “English Proverbs”” (1659) [compiler]
(Source)
A few pages later, Howell quotes John Heywood (1546) the analogous "The more haste, the less speed."
See also See Augustus and Publilius Syrus.
It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen.
Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927) English writer, humorist [Jerome Klapka Jerome]
Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, “On Being Idle” (1886)
(Source)
It is better to lose health like a spendthrift than to waste it like a miser. It is better to live and be done with it, then to die daily in the sick-room.
Dost thou love Life? then do not squander Time; for that’s the Stuff Life is made of.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1746 ed.)
(Source)
Reprinted in Poor Richard Improved (1758 ed.). This edition was Franklin's final Poor Richard, and he had it prefaced (1757-07-07) by a new character, Father Abraham, who combined a hundred aphorisms from previous Poor Richard almanacs. This preface became reprinted and (often abridged) known separately as "The Way to Wealth."