It's Better Late Than Never
I don’t know what your schedule is like, but at my job we have an interesting schedule. We start at 9:00am on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday and Friday, we start at 8:30. This can cause issues if you forget what day it is. I have accidently come in around 9ish on a Wednesday because I thought it was Thursday, for example. Well, today was an 8:30 day. I arrived on time, parked my car, and went up to the office to get a cup of coffee. I noticed that there weren’t many cars in the parking lot. I didn’t see my coworkers’ vehicles. They were late. They were only a few minutes late, but I LOVE teasing them. So, I waited by the window to catch one of my coworkers. He was only a little late, but it’s better late than never.
It’s better late than never is an English proverb that is literal. It is better to do something late than to never do it. Usually, it is about arriving. So, it is better to arrive late than to never arrive. The phrase is also used sarcastically to bring attention to one’s lateness or lack of effort.
Example: Thank you for handing in your homework late. I guess it is better late than never.
Example: “Sorry, I didn’t finish it until now. I was busy with other things.” “Well, it’s better late than never."
This phrase was first written by Geoffrey Chaucer. In the Canterbury Tales (1386), he wrote, “For better than never is late; never to succeed would be too long a period.” The phrase is also found in old Latin. ‘Potiusque sero quam numquam’ was written around 27 BCE by Titus Livius. It translates to ‘It’s better late than never’. So, the idea of this proverb has been around a long time.
See also: Even a Broken Clock is Right Twice a Day, Telling Time, Turn a Blind Eye, Only Human
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Reference:
https://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/better-late-than-never/
https://www.theidioms.com/better-late-than-never/