
ProverbWisdom
English origin
An ounce of mother-wit is worth a pound of clergy.
Meaning: Native intelligence and common sense accomplish more than formal education or scholarly knowledge alone.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- turn up one's nose at something or someone To scorn, snub, or reject something.
- under someone's thumb Under someone's control.
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