A fool and his money are soon parted

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Meaning

An imprudent person quickly loses money through bad judgement or exploitation. Usually judgemental and sometimes victim-blaming. Modern singular they can avoid the gendered his, though the traditional form remains common. Regional use: English proverbial origin; now international English.

Origin

Thomas Tusser's Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie of 1573 has the close rhyme 'A foole & his money, be soone at debate'. John Bridges printed the nearly exact 'a foole and his money is soone parted' in 1587. The proverb is English practical wisdom rather than a biblical quotation, and its modern plural agreement, are, became standard later.

Research Sources

  1. A fool and his money are soon parted Phrase Finder
  2. A FOOL and his money are soon parted Tilley's Proverbs

Variants

  • A fool and his money is soon parted
  • A fool and his money are easily parted
  • A fool and their money are soon parted

Usage Examples

  • The fraudulent investment proved again that a fool and his money are soon parted.
  • He bought every miracle gadget advertised to him; a fool and his money are easily parted.
  • The proverb says a fool and his money are soon parted, but deception still belongs to the deceiver.

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