Explaining "A rolling stone gathers no moss"

Reviewed and edited by

Lloyd Cooper 16/10/2024, 23:14

English.me team member

What does it mean?

The phrase suggests that someone who does not settle in one place or who is always moving and changing will not accumulate commitments, responsibilities, or obligations, similar to how a stone that is constantly moving does not gather moss.

Tone

Advisory

Origin

This proverb is ancient, tracing back to Latin writer Publilius Syrus in the first century BC. It was popularized in English by its inclusion in John Heywood's collection of proverbs in 1546.

Examples of usage

My uncle has moved from city to city, job to job, never putting down roots in one place. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
She keeps changing her career path every year, which reminds me of the saying, "a rolling stone gathers no moss."