4 Sayings You've Been Told Don't Mean What You Think They Mean, But They Do

We’ve all seen those clickbait stories on Facebook. You know the ones; big, bold headlines telling you you’ve been misusing common phrases your whole life. In each instance, they claim that most people are only familiar with an abbreviated version of a popular idiom, and that the whole, extended version of the saying actually means the opposite of what is commonly thought.

However, if you delve into the history of these much-maligned phrases, you will find that the phrase you’ve been using is actually the original saying; someone else altered it down the road to change its context. Here is a list of four of the most common offenders:

The phrase you know: “Curiosity killed the cat.”

The alleged actual phrase: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”

“Curiosity killed the cat” has been used as a cautionary saying to deter people from being nosy for centuries. It indicates that asking too many questions can lead to dangerous situations. The saying originated in the late 16th century by playwright Ben Johnson in his play Every Man in His Humour. A similar quote appeared in 1599 in William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Those who offer the extended version insist that while the beginning of the phrase warns against unnecessary investigation, there is pleasure in finding out something you really want to know and the risk would lead to resurrection. However, the earliest known printed reference to this rejoinder is not until 1912 in the Titusville Herald Newspaper. This version of the saying began to grow in popularity, making appearances in the 1970s in both the Iggy Pop song Curiosity and Stephen King’s novel The Shining. However, “Curiosity killed the cat” without the rejoinder is still the most commonly used form and true to the original intent.

The phrase you know: “Great minds think alike.”

The alleged actual phrase: “Great minds think alike, though fools seldom differ."

I am sure all of us have used this phrase at some time when coming to the same conclusion as a friend or family member. The origin of this one is a little less clear, but it dates back to at least 1816 in Carl Theodor von Unlanski’s biography The Woful History of the Unfortunate Eudoxia. However, a version of this saying can be traced back even further to 1618 where it originated as “good wits doe jumpe” with “jumpe” having an archaic meaning of “agrees with” or “coincide.” While the original phrase was meant as a humorous expression when two people found they were thinking the same thing; the extended version warns of the foolishness of people not considering different ideas or thoughts. While this is something worth considering, the extended version “though fools seldom differ” is not found in any of the original writings. It does not make an appearance until much later and is thought to have been a retort from those who did not agree with the “like minds.”

The phrase you know: “The early bird gets the worm.”

The alleged actual phrase: “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”

This is one I heard all my life as I was never a morning person. The basic implication is those who arrive first have the best chance for success. However, the extended version indicates that sometimes caution and the chance to learn from others’ mistakes is the way to succeed. But which version is the original expression? The first recorded use of “the early bird gets the worm” is from John Ray’s A Collection of English Proverbs 1670, published in 1678. The extended version of this proverb is a much more recent development. It only dates back to 1994 when it was posted to an online message board as a humorous anti-proverb with unknown authorship. So, while the extended version does make a valid point regarding learning from others’ failures, the saying you grew up with is the original.

The phrase you know: “Birds of a feather flock together.”

The alleged actual phrase: “Birds of a feather flock together until the cat comes.”

This one is a simple expression meaning people with shared characteristics, backgrounds, or tastes tend to associate with one another. It makes sense that people with common interests would socialize with each other. However, the extended version seems to have a darker outlook, indicating that while these commonalities lead people to find each other, the minute adversity or danger arises, they will all scatter in order to protect themselves. But this ominous addition does not appear in any of the first known uses of this idiom. In 1545, William Turner wrote in Rescuing of Romish Fox “Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye always together.” It appeared again in the late 16th century in The Dictionarie in Spanish and English by John Minsheu as “Birdes of a feather will flocke together.” Since that time, it has been restated in many publications, but never with the extension “until the cat comes.” Once again, this is an example of a popular phrase that someone added a rejoinder to in order to change the meaning.

So next time someone tries to tell you you are using any of these sayings wrong, feel free to give them a history lesson, I'm sure they'll appreciate it ;)

Side note: this story was written as part of a group challenge in the Vocal Creators Saloon group on Facebook. It's a fairly new Facebook group started by longtime Vocal Creator, Teisha LeShea, so if you're not already a member, please join!