Meaning
'Doah throw weh yuh stick before yuh cross di river' — don't throw away your walking stick before you have crossed the river. Don't discard what is helping you until you are safely past your difficulty, the proverb counsels: hold on to your support, your resources, and your allies until the danger is truly behind you. It warns against casting aside too soon the thing or the person that is carrying you through trouble, since to let go before you are safe is to be left stranded midstream.
Examples
-
Nuh quit di job till di new one sure; doah throw weh yuh stick before yuh cross di river.
Don't quit the job until the new one is certain; don't discard your support too soon.
-
Keep yuh savings till di storm pass; doah throw weh yuh stick before yuh cross di river.
Keep your savings until the hard times pass; don't let go of what helps you too early.
-
Him drop him friends soon as him get money — doah throw weh yuh stick before yuh cross di river.
He dropped his friends as soon as he got money — don't cast off your support before you're safe.
Origin
A river-crossing image: a stick steadies you against the current, so a wise traveller keeps it until both feet are on the far bank — don't let go of your help mid-stream.
How it’s used
A caution against abandoning your support, allies, or resources before you are safely through a difficulty.