ProverbCommunicationAmerican origin19th c.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

Meaning: Insults cannot really harm you, so they are best ignored.

Example: “When the older kids mocked his glasses, Sam just shrugged: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Origin: A children's rhyme recorded in the 19th century; an American collection printed a version in the early 1860s. It is traditionally chanted back at a name-caller.

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