Why is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?

Answer 1

BECAUSE you would HAVE to LET GO of the BIRD so you can TRY to CATCH the other TWO.

YOU would HAVE to catch BOTH to be BETTER off. The CHANCES are NOT GOOD.

So better to KEEP the ONE you have.

Answer 2

This an over-worked proverb.

May be, it assumes greater importance for Bush-bashers!

Let's examine the Proverb:

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,"

Meaning:

We generally, metaphorically use this proverb to say it is better to accept something that we have or we can use NOW than to try to get something better that you might not be able to obtain.

Sometimes people just say, "A bird in the hand." & stop at that. as the rest is easily understood.

If someone says,
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,"
he/she means that it is better to be satisfied with something you have than to risk losing it by trying to get something better you may not succeed in getting."



Example:
If I were you, I'd accept what is offered for this deal as we alll know, 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. '

In simpler terms Why lose the bird sitting in your hand in order to get a couple of them that are on their wings!

Source:

English Idioms & Proverbs

Answer 3

Well a bird in the Strand is worth two in Shepard's Bush

Answer 4

The things we already have are more valuable than the things we only hope to get.

http://www.bartleby.com/59/3/birdinthehan.html

Origin

The phrase has been known for centuries, but in a variety of slightly different versions. The earliest English version of the proverb is from the Bible and was translated into English in Wycliffe's version in 1382, although Latin texts have it from the 13th century:

Ecclesiastes IX - A living dog is better than a dead lion.

Alternatives that explicitly mention birds in hand come later. The earliest if those is in Hugh Rhodes' 'The boke of nurture or schoole of good maners', circa 1530:

"A byrd in hand - is worth ten flye at large."

John Heywood, the 16th century collector of proverbs, recorded another version in his ambitiously titled 'A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue', 1546:

"Better one byrde in hande than ten in the wood."

It isn't until the 19th century that we find the currently used phrase. The earliest I've located is in a US newspaper 'The Huron Reflector', from Jan 1833:

"But few persons, so prone are we to grasp at the shadow at the expense of the substance, bear in mind the good old adage, 'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'"

This refers to the phrase as old. How long it predates 1833 isn't clear.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/64950.html

Answer 5

The bird in your hand is already in your possession, you have it, it is a sure thing. The 2 in the bush you have to chase after and birds being what they are, are apt to fly away before you are able to capture them.

Answer 6

Yeah this is one of those quotes which makes u think "huh"...but the real inner meaning of it is ....when u have an oppurtunity(bird) at hand, make full use of it..instead of going after the bird in the bush....we should concentrate on what we have first and try to make full use of it before trying to acquire more what others have...hope this made sense to you..:D

Answer 7

you already have the one in your hand the 2 in the bush could fly away before you get close leaving you with no bird at all

Answer 8

well a bird in the hands means you own it .
two in the bush you can watch it but they will fly away when you try to grab them. so you have one is better then looking at two.

Answer 9

Because you actually have that bird (or item that it refers to) whereas you do not have those in the bush and possibly never will have. Therefore, the one you have is worth more to you than those you haven't.

Answer 10

Because you have - in your hand - a stupid bird and why you want to have one in your hand I don't know - and the other two birds - and why you would want two stupid birds I really don't know - you do not have in your hand - thank goodness!@

Answer 11

You got that one for sure. The others might still get away.

Just wash your hands before lunch - there could be bird flu on them right now.