ProverbWisdom
American origin18th c.
American origin18th c.Tall oaks from little acorns grow
Meaning: Small beginnings accumulate into significant achievements through time and consistent development.
Who said it? David Everett, “Lines Written for a School Declamation”, 1790s
Origin: From "Lines Written for a School Declamation," by the American writer David Everett, composed in the 1790s for a small boy to recite: "Large streams from little fountains flow, / Tall oaks from little acorns grow." The couplet spread through school readers such as Caleb Bingham's The Columbian Orator.
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