a stopped clock is right twice a day

English

Alternative forms

• a broken clock is right twice a day
• even 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.
2. Someone who repeats the same thing constantly will at some point be correct, if only briefly.

Synonyms

• 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)
• Hungarian: vak tyúk is talál szemet (hu)
• 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