This DAY there is no trust, but come tomorrow

Insights

Evasion and Procrastination

The proverb symbolizes the act of indefinite procrastination or evasion. 'Tomorrow' represents a future that never arrives, making it a polite but firm way of saying 'no' without direct confrontation.

Deceptive Promises

It represents a deceptive or insincere promise. The speaker offers false hope for the future to get rid of a person in the present, with no actual intention of ever fulfilling the request.

Inherent Distrust

The phrase highlights a fundamental skepticism about trust and credit. It establishes a default position of distrust, pushing any possibility of trust into an unattainable future.

Commercial and Social Evasion

This proverb likely originated as a common, cynical sign in shops or taverns to politely refuse credit. It reflects a historical commercial reality where extending credit was risky, and this phrase became a standardized, non-confrontational way to deny it.

Psychology of Deferral

The proverb masterfully uses a psychological trick of deferral. By postponing the refusal to an ever-receding 'tomorrow', it avoids the social friction of a direct 'no', making it a classic example of passive-aggressive communication.

Literary Parallel

The sentiment is famously echoed in Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking-Glass' with the White Queen's rule: 'jam to-morrow and jam yesterday—but never jam to-day.' Both illustrate the logical paradox of a promise that is perpetually deferred and never fulfilled.

Rhetorical Devices

Antithesis

The proverb sets up a sharp contrast between the certainty of the present ('This DAY there is no trust') and the false hope of the future ('but come tomorrow'), creating a powerful ironic tension.

Irony

The core of the proverb's meaning lies in its situational irony. The invitation to 'come tomorrow' is understood by both parties to be a refusal, not a genuine offer.

Imperative Mood

The use of the imperative 'come tomorrow' functions as a polite dismissal, directing the requester away while maintaining a facade of potential future cooperation.