Why do we say "Better safe than sorry"?

Well-Known Expressions

Better safe than sorry

Meaning:

It's better to take precautionary measures to prevent something bad from happening.

Background:

The earliest known use of this proverb is by the Irish novelist Samuel Lover (1797-1868) who used it in his book Rory O'More (1837). Another form of the expression is 'better be sensible than sorry'.

More expressions and their source

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