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general::
Being tardy is better than not at all, as in We've been waiting for you for an hour? but better late than never. This phrase, first recorded about 1200, appears in several early English proverb collections, often with the added but better never late. Today it is often used in exasperation over a delay, as in the example.
American Heritage Idioms
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Phrase(s): Better late than never.
Prov. Cliché Doing something late is better than not doing it. • I’m sorry I’m late to the party. Better late than never, right? • Jill: Lisa’s birthday was two weeks ago. Should I send her a card now? Jane: Better late than never.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs