{"id":10433,"date":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10433"},"modified":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","slug":"a-feather-in-the-hand-is-better-than-a-bird-in-the-air-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/a-feather-in-the-hand-is-better-than-a-bird-in-the-air-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"A Feather in the Hand is Better Than a Bird in the Air \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is your friend thinking about investing his meager savings into NFTs, hoping to make a profit? You could warn him that \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more about this idiom and its meaning in this post.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The English idiom \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air<\/strong>\u201d is a variation of the more famous saying, \u201ca bird in the hand is worth two in the bush<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

It means the assets you already have are better than the potential assets you may gain through risk-taking<\/u>.<\/p>\n

You can use the saying \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air\u201d to tell someone to be content with what they have or to warn them against taking undue risks in the hope of gaining more.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

Do you want to use the saying \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air\u201d to warn or inspire someone? Take a look at these examples first:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \u201cWhy do you have to end your 20-year career to pursue a new challenge? Don\u2019t you know that a feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air<\/strong>?\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cKnowing that a feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air<\/strong>, Timmy ignored the invitation to join a new startup and committed himself to his boring but secure job.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cNo matter what they say, a feather in the hand is never better than a bird in the air<\/strong> if you\u2019ve no use for feathers but really need a bird. I have to follow my dreams, so I\u2019m leaving my hometown to become an actor.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Origin<\/h2>\n

    The saying \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air<\/strong>\u201d is a variation of the famous idiom \u201ca bird in the hand is better than two in the bush<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    This idiom entered the English language in the 15th<\/sup> century<\/strong> when hunting birds such as pheasants for food was common.<\/p>\n

    The saying warns against unnecessary risks and tells people to be happy with what they already have; the outcome you hope for may not come to pass, but you can count on the assets already in your hands.<\/p>\n

    John Capgrave\u2019s 1540 work The Life of St Katherine of Alexandria<\/em> includes the following early reference to the phrase: \u201cIt is more sekyr a byrd in your fest, Than to haue three in the sky a\u2010boue.\u201d<\/p>\n

    A bird on your table is more secure than three in the sky, in other words.<\/p>\n

    Another early reference, John Heywood\u2019s 1546 book about proverbs, speaks of a bird in the hand being better than 10 in the woods.<\/p>\n

    Of all these variations, \u201ca bird in the hand is better than two in the bush\u201d has survived the longest. However, you may sometimes hear \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Phrases Similar to a Feather in the Hand is Better Than a Bird in the Air<\/h2>\n

    Similar phrases include:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Count your blessings.<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Play it safe.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Phrases Opposite to a Feather in the Hand is Better Than a Bird in the Air<\/h2>\n

      The idiom \u201cdon\u2019t put all your eggs in one basket<\/strong>\u201d invites people to pursue multiple paths to success simultaneously. This increases the odds that one will succeed.<\/p>\n

      Phrases that encourage people to take risks include:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Take a gamble.<\/strong><\/li>\n
      • Risk life and limb.<\/strong><\/li>\n
      • Take a calculated risk.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        What Is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n

        \u201cA feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air<\/strong>\u201d is a variation of the better-known saying \u201ca bird in the hand is worth two in the bush<\/strong>.\u201d This phrase encourages people to be content with what they have and cautions against risk-taking.<\/p>\n

        Ways People May Say a Feather in the Hand is Better Than a Bird in the Air Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

        People will understand what you mean if you say that \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air,\u201d but \u201ca bird in the hand is worth two in the bush<\/strong>\u201d is more widespread.<\/p>\n

        Acceptable Ways to Phrase a Feather in the Hand is Better Than a Bird in the Air<\/h2>\n

        You can use this phrase to warn someone that risks don\u2019t always pay off and to remind them that playing it safe is often better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Is your friend thinking about investing his meager savings into NFTs, hoping to make a profit? You could warn him that \u201ca feather in the hand is better than a bird in the air.\u201d Learn more about this idiom and its meaning in this post. Meaning The English idiom \u201ca feather in the hand is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10433"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10434,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10433\/revisions\/10434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}