“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase suggests that if something is working well or is not problematic, there is no need to change or try to improve it.
Tone Pragmatic and cautionary
Where it comes from
The exact origin is unclear, but it became popular in the United States in the 1970s. It is often attributed to Bert Lance, a government official during the Carter administration, who used a similar expression.
Examples
- We’ve been using this system for years without issues; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
- The car runs fine as it is, so let’s not tinker with it unnecessarily—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
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