Works argument

[oabyone]

Is the saying 'More,speed less haste' the correct saying?

[darth vader]

yes (without the comma) http://uk.altavista.com/web/results?q=%22more+spee
d+less+haste%22&kgs=1&kls=1&avkw=xytx

[darth vader]

sorry, did you want to know what it means too?

[answerbok]

if it helps settle an argument, it appears that 'more haste less speed' is the slightly more popular turn of phrase according to Googlefight http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=m
ore+speed+less+haste&q2=more+haste+less+speed&B1=Make+a+fight%21&compare=1&langue=us

[Quizmonster]

As Answerbok says, 'More haste, less speed' is the original version. At least it was the version in Heywood's collection of English proverbs published in 1546.

[oabyone]

Cheers guys, thats that settled.

[oabyone]

I have only heard it " More speed, less haste". My work is 50-50 on it and even web searches give both.

[answerbok]

likely reason why it's 50/50 on Google.. the Americans turned it around to express their individuality like they done with so many words; we say tomato, so they say tomayto; i think they got a committee for it. e.g. the ground floor, they say first floor.. the road, they call the pavement.. - true. they trying to get us killed? Hey buddy! Don't drive on the pavement! ... no offence yanks but you do got a way with words.

[FredPuli]

'More haste, less speed'. To make haste , to hurry is to rush and that is not the same as making good speed, going fast . The proverb points out the inefficiency in rushing around ; the more we rush the more likely we are, for rexample, to forget our keys, money, wallet, map or other essentials so we end up being late . More speed may involve less rushing, less haste; it may not make a difference sometimes; but it is certain that increasing the haste will eventually result in less speed. The Romans had the same proverbial thought : 'Festina lente' ' 'hurry slowly' (sometimes given as 'make haste slowly'); they took the wording from a Greek proverb, so the idea is an old and well-travelled one.

[Squirrel]

"Festina lente" is also the only piece of Latin I know, as it happens to be our school's motto, and I have to say, there is wisdom in it. I've just had to correct several mistakes due to typing too quickly. Good answer, Fred.

[answerbok]

So, a ready made excuse if anyone late for school, Squirrel :-)

[Quizmonster]

(Squirrel - just a message and nothing to do with this thread. My apologies, Oabyone.) Did you see the reply I posted for you in the 'Favourite punctuation mark' thread in the 'Arts/Lit' category? There were further responses thereafter, too, that you might enjoy.