ProverbWisdom
American origin20th c.
American origin20th c.Horses, not zebras
Meaning: When diagnosing problems, assume common causes before exotic ones; simplicity usually precedes complexity.
Origin: A maxim of medical training, coined in the late 1940s by Dr. Theodore Woodward of the University of Maryland, who told his interns, "When you hear hoofbeats behind you, don't expect to see a zebra." The popular form is "When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras." It tells young doctors to consider the common explanation before the exotic one. In medical slang, a rare diagnosis is still called a "zebra."
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