ProverbWisdom
English origin
English originFeather by feather the goose is plucked.
Meaning: Small incremental losses, ignored individually, accumulate into significant depletion over time.
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.
Equivalents in Spanish, Italian, Russian, and Polish
Spanish: Grano a grano hincha la gallina el papo (literally: Grain by grain the hen fills her crop)
Italian: A penna a penna si pela l’oca (literally: Feather by feather the goose is plucked)
Russian: Курочка по зёрнышку клюёт, да сыта бывает (Kurochka po zyornyshku klyuyot, da syta byvayet) (literally: The hen pecks grain by grain, yet gets full)
Polish: Ziarnko do ziarnka, aż zbierze się miarka (literally: Grain by grain, until a measure is gathered)
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Du hast doch einen Vogel You're a bit out of your mind.
- Du gehst mir auf den Keks You're getting on my nerves.
- Schlaumeier A smart aleck or know-it-all.
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