Meaning: When a deposit bottle is broken......

[symaa]

Hello,

"When a deposit bottle is broken, you don't get your nickel back."

The quote above does it mean that you should not regret of what you could not acheive it / lost it, because now it is all over.

Would you please tell me if my explanation is right?

[J&K Tutoring]

This saying refers to the practice in many places of paying for empty bottles returned for recycling- in this cases 5 cents, commonly called a nickle. The money returned was added to the original purchase price of the drink, so the purchaser 'invested' a nickel, expecting to get it back when he returned the empty bottle. If the bottle is broken, the 'investment' is lost.

What this adage is saying is that, if we invest (whether money, time, or something else) in something, and that something is destroyed or for some other reason come to ruin, then our investment will be lost.

It's not saying don't regret the loss, it just says you will lose your "deposit" if the "bottle" gets "broken".

[symaa]

This saying refers to the practice in many places of paying for empty bottles returned for recycling- in this cases 5 cents, commonly called a nickle. The money returned was added to the original purchase price of the drink, so the purchaser 'invested' a nickel, expecting to get it back when he returned the empty bottle. If the bottle is broken, the 'investment' is lost.

What this adage is saying is that, if we invest (whether money, time, or something else) in something, and that something is destroyed or for some other reason come to ruin, then our investment will be lost.

It's not saying don't regret the loss, it just says you will lose your "deposit" if the "bottle" gets "broken".

Thank you so much teacher for the nice explanation of this adage.

This adage was extracted from "Arthur Miller's Death of a salesman, act one"

W

ILLY (after a pause, withering): I can’t understand it. He’s going
back to Texas again. What the hell is that?

C

HARLEY: Let him go.

W

ILLY: I got nothin’ to give him, Charley, I’m clean, I’m clean.

C

HARLEY: He won’t starve. None a them starve. Forget about
him.

W

ILLY: Then what have I got to remember?

C

HARLEY: You take it too hard. To hell with it. When a deposit
bottle is broken you don’t get your nickel back.

W

ILLY: That’s easy enough for you to say.

CHARLEY: That ain’t easy for me to say.

So, here why Charley told him that instead of consoling him for the fact that his son are not settled, I think that it is Willy who should say that.

Thank you in advance.

[SoothingDave]

He seems to be using the phrase to mean some combination of "what's done is done" (don't worry about what you can't change) and "don't sweat the small stuff" (it's only a nickel).

[symaa]

He seems to be using the phrase to mean some combination of "what's done is done" (don't worry about what you can't change) and "don't sweat the small stuff" (it's only a nickel).

Thank you so much your help, I really appreciate it.
All the best for you,