bad money drives out good

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Traditional sentiment, both in literal and metaphorical sense, dating to ancient works such as Aristophanes' The Frogs, and appearing in various forms in various Islamic and European medieval texts.

In English, termed Gresham's law since 1858 (coinage by Henry Dunning Macleod).

Proverb

bad money drives out good

1. Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).
2. (metaphorically) Mediocre talent drives away real talent.

Translations

debased coinage replaces purer coinage

• Chinese: 劣幣驅逐良幣 (cmn), 劣币驱逐良币 (cmn)

• Japanese: 悪貨は良貨を駆逐する (ja)
• Korean: 악화는 양화를 구축한다 (ko) (aghwa-neun yanghwa-reul guchug-handa) (calque of Gresham's law)

mediocre talent drives away real talent

• Korean: 적반하장 (ko) (賊反荷杖, jeog-ban-ha-jang) (the robber on the contrary holds the rod), 주객전도 (ko) (主客顚倒, ju-gaeg-jeon-do) (the host and the guest upset)