a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners

English

Alternative forms

• a new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners
• a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows all the corners

Proverb

a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners

1. (Commonwealth) New management imposes radical changes, but those with prior experience have more knowledge.
   • 28 May 2017, “Does the song “Amadlozi” by the late Brenda Fassie ring a bell?”, in Mpulanga News:

     It is said that a new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners – this does not apply to Mbombela’s social scene.

   • 22 December 2016, The Conversation UK:

     Chibnall, like Moffat, like Davies, like Capaldi, Tennant, and many others involved in the triumphant reboot, is a lifelong Doctor Who fan. His arrival should remind us of the full version of the old adage: a new broom sweeps clean but an old broom knows the corners. There are lives in the old Doctor yet.

   • 2011, Sylvia Bronner Walker, Little Nuggets for Life's Experiences, →ISBN:

     It has been noted that the new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners. Every now and then, the older broom must trust the young broom's judgment.

See also

• a new broom sweeps clean (ellipsis)