"An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, and an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time" is a common saying.

From: Augmented Sage, a bibliography of children's enlightenment written in Ming Dynasty, whose author is unknown.

It means: an inch of time costs an inch of gold, but an inch of gold can hardly buy an inch of time. Metaphor time is very precious.

Extended data

An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, but a thousand dollars can't buy an inch of time.

First, temporary money? 【yī kè qiān jīn】？

Explanation: it's worth a thousand dollars in an instant. Describe that time is very precious.

Said by: 10 o'clock at midnight by Mao Dun: He didn't even smell snuff. Look at the clock It's ten minutes before six. He can't afford to lose precious moments.

Second, the cloud dew [fú yú n zhā o lê]?

Commentary: floating clouds, morning dew. Metaphor time flies, life is short.

According to the biography of Zhou Shu Xiao Dawei by Tang Cen Wenben and Cui: "If life is cloudy, I would rather wait for the first act of the long rope, but I really don't want to."

Man's life is like clouds and dew in the morning. Waiting for a long time is just to see the scenery, but it is not what you want.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Augmented Xianwen