This teaches the folly of false economy; of failing to achieve one’s purpose
by trying to save in a small detail; of marring an effect in order to avoid
spending a trifling extra amount. A man who buys an expensive new overcoat and
continues to wear his shabby old hat with it is spoiling the ship for a
ha’p’orth of tar.

The Shorter Oxford Dictionary reminds us that ‘spoiling the ship’ should be
‘losing the sheep.’ _Sheep_ is dialectally pronounced _ship_ in many parts of
England, and the tar was used to protect sore places on sheep from the attacks
of flies.

##### See also:

* A stitch in time saves nine
* Who repairs not his gutters repairs his whole house