What does ‘a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’ mean?
To “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” means to what you have is better than what you might get. Brewer's lists this among the classic English proverbs; the imagery is drawn from falconry, where the trained bird already on the fist is more valuable than wild birds in cover.
Origin
- Brewer's lists this among the classic English proverbs; the imagery is drawn from falconry, where the trained bird already on the fist is more valuable than wild birds in cover.
How to use it
- Used to argue against gambling a sure gain for a bigger uncertain one.
- Example: I'll take the smaller offer — a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.