a stopped clock is right twice a day

English

Alternative forms

• a broken clock is right twice a day
• even a stopped clock is right twice a day

Proverb

a stopped clock is right twice a day

1. A normally unreliable person or instrument can occasionally provide correct information, even if only by accident.

Synonyms

• even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while
• even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while
• even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then
• even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while

Translations

something or someone unreliable is right sometimes, even by accident

• Finnish: rikkinäinen kellokin on kahdesti päivässä oikeassa
• French: même une pendule cassée donne l’heure deux fois par jour
• German: auch ein blindes Huhn findet mal ein Korn (de)
• Polish: trafiło się ślepej kurze ziarno (pl)
• Spanish: hasta un reloj parado acierta la hora dos veces al día
• Turkish: bozuk saat bile günde iki defa doğruyu gösterir

even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while — see even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while