What is the meaning of 'a word to the wise is enough'?

Answer 1

it means one word is enough for a wise man... Often, this expression is used when cautioning or warning someone about something. The speaker doesn't want to take the time or go to the trouble of having to explain carefully, or in great detail, why his hint of possible trouble ahead for the listener, should be considered very carefully. He prefers the listener do his own thinking by himself. A person having wisdom would then think at length about his situation, and come to his own conclusion as to what action, if any, needs to be taken. On the other hand, an average person, or even a fool, would not bother to even think about the hint of a problem, but would prefer to be persuaded [ spoon-fed, we often say ] at great length, before making any decisions or taking any corrective action. Thus the figurative "one word is sufficient". I hope this helps you understand its usage. In my understanding, 'a word to the wise is enough' means that a wise person will need little explanation to grasp a concept or a problem. Those who are not wise will require much more detailed & comprehensive explanations to understand the same thing the wise man does in a 'word'.