One swallow makes not a spring, nor one woodcock a winter.
Meaning: A single favorable occurrence cannot establish a pattern; sustained evidence is needed to draw conclusions.
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.
More proverbs about Wisdom
- They have need of a besom that sweep the house with a turf. — Using inadequate tools wastes effort; poor implements cannot accomplish their intended pu…
- He must needs swim that's held up by the chin. — Desperation forces you to learn survival skills you'd never develop in safety or comfort.
- Remove the tale-bearer and contention ceaseth. — Silencing gossip's source eliminates the conflict it generates among those previously div…
- To him that hath lost his taste, sweet is sour. — Loss of perspective inverts our values; deprivation corrupts even formerly cherished plea…
- Nothing dries up sooner than tears. — Grief, however overwhelming, naturally fades with time as emotions settle and healing beg…
- The tempter is the greater rogue. — Temptation's instigator bears more moral culpability than the person succumbing to their…
From our untranslatable words
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- Épanouissement — The full flourishing of a person — blooming into your most complete, radiant self. More t…
- Ressourcement — The act of returning to one's roots or origins to find renewal — going back to a place, t…