
IdiomDaily Life
French
Mieux vaut tenir que courir
Meaning: Better to keep what you have than chase what you might get.
Literally: Better to hold than to run
Example: “Garde ton poste actuel en attendant une vraie proposition ; mieux vaut tenir que courir.” — Keep your current job until you get a real offer; a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
English equivalent: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Origin: The same argument as un tiens vaut mieux, put in terms of effort rather than counting. French keeps both in circulation.
More French idioms
- Un coup de Trafalgar A sudden catastrophic reversal, often felt to be underhand.
- Doré sur tranche Extremely wealthy; luxuriously appointed.
- Le bout du tunnel The first sign that a long difficulty is ending.
- Brûler ses vaisseaux To destroy any possibility of retreat.
- Vérité en deçà des Pyrénées, erreur au-delà What counts as true depends on which side of a border you stand.
- Un vieux de la vieille A veteran of long standing.
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