The used key is always bright.

What it means

Idleness rusts you faster than work wears you out. A key in daily use stays shiny. Keep yourself in use.

The source

"The used key is always bright." Benjamin Franklin said it in The Way to Wealth (Poor Richard Improved, 1758). Written in English: Franklin's Way to Wealth, 1805 London printing.

"Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears, while the used key is always bright"

Original English (Franklin's Way to Wealth, 1805 London printing), The Way to Wealth (Poor Richard Improved, 1758). Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790). Printer, inventor and American founder who published Poor Richard's Almanack for 25 years. The Way to Wealth (1758) gathers its best sayings.

Questions

What does "The used key is always bright." mean?

Idleness rusts you faster than work wears you out. A key in daily use stays shiny. Keep yourself in use.

Who said "The used key is always bright."?

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790). Source: The Way to Wealth (Poor Richard Improved, 1758).

What is the original wording?

Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears, while the used key is always bright (Original English (Franklin's Way to Wealth, 1805 London printing)). Written in English: Franklin's Way to Wealth, 1805 London printing.

Is "The used key is always bright." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"The used key is always bright." (Benjamin Franklin, The Way to Wealth (Poor Richard Improved, 1758), trans. Original English (Franklin's Way to Wealth, 1805 London printing)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/the-used-key-is-always-bright