See if it ain't broke, don't fix it on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "Attested since c. 1962, originally Southern United States English; popularized by T. Bert Lance in May 1977.",
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"expansion": "if it ain't broke, don't fix it",
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"pos": "proverb",
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"coordinate_terms": [
{
"word": "don’t change a winning team"
},
{
"word": "don’t change horses in midstream"
},
{
"word": "don’t mess with success"
},
{
"word": "let sleeping dogs lie"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I know it’s an ugly-looking antenna, but it gets the job done, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"It is wise to leave something alone and to avoid attempting to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient (often with an implication that the attempted improvement is risky and might backfire)."
],
"id": "en-if_it_ain't_broke,_don't_fix_it-en-proverb-Cc-vPX~m",
"links": [
[
"leave",
"leave"
],
[
"alone",
"alone"
],
[
"avoid",
"avoid"
],
[
"attempt",
"attempt"
],
[
"correct",
"correct"
],
[
"fix",
"fix"
],
[
"improve",
"improve"
],
[
"sufficient",
"sufficient"
],
[
"backfire",
"backfire"
]
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "don't mess with success"
},
{
"word": "if it ain't busted, don't fix it"
},
{
"word": "leave well enough alone"
},
{
"word": "if it ain't broken, don't fix it"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "東西沒壞就別修它"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "dōngxi méi huài jiù bié xiū tā",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "东西没坏就别修它"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "älä korjaa sitä, mikä ei ole rikki"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "on ne change pas une équipe qui gagne"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "ist es nicht hin, mach es nicht heil"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "repariere nichts, was nicht kaputt ist"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "מה שעובד - לא נוגעים"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "אם זה לא מקולקל, אל תתקן"
},
{
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "jo cīz kharāb nahī̃ hai use ṭhīk nā karẽ",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "जो चीज़ खराब नहीं है उसे ठीक ना करें"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "ha nincs baja, ne javítsd meg"
},
{
"alt": "つのをためて うしをころす",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "tsuno-wo-tamete ushi-wo-korosu",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "角を矯めて牛を殺す"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "nie szukaj dziury w całym"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "em time que está ganhando, não se mexe"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "не сломалось — не чини (ne slomalosʹ — ne čini)",
"sense": "leave something alone"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "si funciona, no lo toques"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "om det inte är trasigt, fixa det inte"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "ne zlámano - ne ladnáj",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "не зла́мано - не ладна́й"
}
]
}
],
"word": "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
}
{
"coordinate_terms": [
{
"word": "don’t change a winning team"
},
{
"word": "don’t change horses in midstream"
},
{
"word": "don’t mess with success"
},
{
"word": "let sleeping dogs lie"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Attested since c. 1962, originally Southern United States English; popularized by T. Bert Lance in May 1977.",
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"args": {},
"expansion": "if it ain't broke, don't fix it",
"name": "en-proverb"
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],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "proverb",
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{
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"Terms with Ukrainian translations"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I know it’s an ugly-looking antenna, but it gets the job done, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"It is wise to leave something alone and to avoid attempting to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient (often with an implication that the attempted improvement is risky and might backfire)."
],
"links": [
[
"leave",
"leave"
],
[
"alone",
"alone"
],
[
"avoid",
"avoid"
],
[
"attempt",
"attempt"
],
[
"correct",
"correct"
],
[
"fix",
"fix"
],
[
"improve",
"improve"
],
[
"sufficient",
"sufficient"
],
[
"backfire",
"backfire"
]
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "don't mess with success"
},
{
"word": "if it ain't busted, don't fix it"
},
{
"word": "leave well enough alone"
},
{
"word": "if it ain't broken, don't fix it"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "東西沒壞就別修它"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "dōngxi méi huài jiù bié xiū tā",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "东西没坏就别修它"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "älä korjaa sitä, mikä ei ole rikki"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "on ne change pas une équipe qui gagne"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "ist es nicht hin, mach es nicht heil"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "repariere nichts, was nicht kaputt ist"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "מה שעובד - לא נוגעים"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "אם זה לא מקולקל, אל תתקן"
},
{
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "jo cīz kharāb nahī̃ hai use ṭhīk nā karẽ",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "जो चीज़ खराब नहीं है उसे ठीक ना करें"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "ha nincs baja, ne javítsd meg"
},
{
"alt": "つのをためて うしをころす",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "tsuno-wo-tamete ushi-wo-korosu",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "角を矯めて牛を殺す"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "nie szukaj dziury w całym"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "em time que está ganhando, não se mexe"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"note": "не сломалось — не чини (ne slomalosʹ — ne čini)",
"sense": "leave something alone"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "si funciona, no lo toques"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "om det inte är trasigt, fixa det inte"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "ne zlámano - ne ladnáj",
"sense": "leave something alone",
"word": "не зла́мано - не ладна́й"
}
],
"word": "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"
}
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