bättre fly än illa fäkta

Swedish

Etymology

Originally and literally, "better flee than fight poorly," though intuitively "better flee than fence poorly" with the modern meaning of fäkta.

Proverb

bättre fly än illa fäkta

1. it's sometimes wiser to back out of a fight rather than to risk a likely defeat

References

• fäkta in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)