Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.17 in modern English

Syllables: a bird in the hand is -worth t-wo in the bush
IPA

60

Scrabble Score

33

Letters

3

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

A sure thing is preferable to the mere chance at something more.

Example Sentences

"It is more sykyr a bryd in youre fyste Than to have thre in the sky above"
"May. No, but the Sides are going to be changed ; and Sir Harry is to be ſome very great Man ; and as ſoon as he is, I am to be made an Embaſſador of. Mrs. May. Made an Aſs of! Will you never learn of me, that a Bird in the Hand is worth two in the Buſh ?"
"[An] acquaintance ... proposed to pay a ... proportion of the cost of the cellar provided he should have as his own everything of value that might be found [excavating]. A bird in the hand, thought Bardolph, is worth two in the bush, so he ... accepted the proposal."

Etymology

Calque of Latin plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla silvis (“a single bird in the hands is worth more than two in the forest”), possibly deriving from sources as old as the ancient Middle East, with the 6th century BCE Proverbs of Ahiqar including "a sparrow in thy hand is better than a thousand sparrows flying".

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla silvis

Phrases

half a loaf is better than none something is better than nothing beggars can't be choosers don't look a gift horse in the mouth a contented mind is a perpetual feast the grass is always greener on the other side

Frequently Paired Words

half a loaf is better than none something is better than nothing beggars can't be choosers don't look a gift horse in the mouth a contented mind is a perpetual feast the grass is always greener on the other side

Synonyms

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow take the cash and let the credit go

Questions

What does a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush mean?: A sure thing is preferable to the mere chance at something more.
Where does a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

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