Recently I’ve faced the Idiom that I’ve mentioned above and did not understand/guess the meaning of it. I’ve already searched it on the internet but only little information found and the information is not about explaining the meaning of the idiom. I am now in the middle of no way. I have tried and assumed it means something like an advise saying “do not waste time about something that currently works well without any issues”. However I do not know what that really means?
This is difficult to explain to you, but in my opinion, this means don’t let your hobbies stay still, your dream inside your heart, your mind stay on the paper. Just do it, do it now, reach it. I mean do it, not write on the paper and not do promise and then forget it.
Breaking the sentence down, you’ve got two messages to deal with: 1) Do not wait time…
2) Something currently works well without any issues.
Putting those two together makes it very close to “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” = it is a mistake to try to improve something that works well.
Hi Eugene2114,
The sentence you’ve broken down is only the meaning I’ve assumed and would like you as teachers of English or native speakers to tell me if I am correct. I am in no way qualified to comment in depth about it. So, in short, could you please let me know the meaning of the idiom?
To K1ngk0ng: English is not mother tongue, but I study it seriously. It’s one of my hobbies too. Somehow, I stop learning it for a long time. The reason? Earning money for life, doing business so I don’t have time to study it although I’m thirsty for researching it. At this time, I continue studying it instead of spreading ink on dead trees.
Hi K1ngk0ng,
I seem to’ve attended to the wrong sentence reading your message and not looking up.
Now I’ve read it, unless it reads literally, it could mean ‘no use publicating the paper version (‘dead tree’) of what is also published electronically.
Another reading could be an allusion to ‘dead wood’ (=people that are no longer useful) and the verb ‘to ink’ =sign (a contract).
Whether any of these work, only the context might tell…
Perhaps it would help if you were to explain the context in which you came across this phrase. I do not believe it is a common idiom, which would explain why there is little information about it.
Without context, to me it simply means ‘(we are doing it/advising that it is done like this so that we) don’t produce a lot of needless paperwork’.
“The point is not to spread ink on dead trees.” not correct and is a very common mistake You told us what the point is not, but we need to focus on what the point is!
The point is to not spread ink… now correct
I would agree that you are probably right. However, as there is no context, it would depend on how the writer intended the sentence to be seen.
Without context, it is possible that we are meant to focus on what the point is not, as in:
The point is not to… Instead we should focus on …
my second sentence ends not at the end of the first line, but after the ellipsis following the word ‘on’.
[quote=“Beeesneees”]
I would agree that you are probably right. However, as there is no context, it would depend on how the writer intended the sentence to be seen.
Without context, it is possible that we are meant to focus on what the point is not, as in:
The point is not to… quite unlikely
I’ve reviewed the statement again and realized it’s kind of not logically correct by virtue it largely means something negative, however when ‘not’ is used here, it becomes something positive, not ‘the point’ any more. I’ve hidden the context trying to uncover if it’s a common idiom, what it means to you without context? See below for the whole context, kindly guide me what it means by the context.
“BUT the value of the project charter is not the document, it is the process of creating the document. The point is not to spread ink on dead trees, but to identify the key stakeholders in the project, the fundamental reason for executing the project, and determine at a high level how you’ll tell when you’re done. The charter is just a way of recording the negotiations and discussions that lead to those decisions.”
The way it was written makes me cringe really. The bureau-speak we’re dealing with here, usually used to conceal plain meaning behind flowery phrases, sounds appalling.
The main idea you could get from that, the process of creating the document is of more importance than the document itself. So as Bev put it, “don’t produce a lot of needless paperwork’. You are advised to ‘identify…’, ‘and determine…’ instead.
P.S. Next time you cite something, put ‘…’ in order to show the original sentence is not fully quoted by you.
