Glossary entry

Portuguese term or phrase:

Não mexa em time que está ganhando

English translation:

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

Jun 25, 2010 02:59
13 yrs ago
Portuguese term

Não mexa em time que está ganhando

Portuguese to English Other General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters Proverbs
Provérbio antigo:

NÃO MEXA EM TIME QUE ESTÁ GANHANDO
Change log

Jul 9, 2010 13:01: Filippe Vasconcellos de Freitas Guimarães Created KOG entry

Proposed translations

+8
24 mins
Selected

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
if a system or method works well there is no reason to change it.
"We're happy with our exam system in Scotland, and as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
"He hasn't made a lot of changes to the team since taking over as head coach, figuring if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
(Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. )

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT - "Any attempt to improve on a system that already works is pointless and may even be detrimental. Originated in the United States in the twentieth century. Government official Bert Lance (1931- ) was quoted in the May 1977 issue of 'Nation's Business' as saying, 'If it ain't broke don't fix it.' Lance's advice, according to William Safire, 'has become a source of inspiration to anti-activists.'." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" (1996) by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
http://is.gd/d2WIX

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2010-06-25 03:24:44 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Estou mais acostumado a "em time que está ganhando não se mexe" :)
Peer comment(s):

agree Paula Borges
27 mins
Obrigado, Paula!
agree José Crespo
4 hrs
Obrigado, José!
agree Evans (X) : good equivalent! And this version is very widely used in the UK too!
4 hrs
Thank you, Gilla! :)
agree Fiona Stephenson : or as we in the UK would say "if it isn't broken, don't fix it"
4 hrs
Thank you, Fiona! :)
agree Cecilia Rey : excellent! agree with Fiona
5 hrs
Thank you, Cecilia! :)
agree oxygen4u : :)
5 hrs
Thank you :)
agree Gabriel Guzovsky
7 hrs
Obrigado, Gabriel!
agree Adriana Maciel
8 hrs
Obrigado, Adriana!
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
5 hrs

Never change a winning team

If you refer to a team or group of people say it with Alf Ramsey, the famous manager of the English football team in the 60s.
Something went wrong...
15 hrs

never change horses in mid-stream

:)
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search