"A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush"

-----According to Wisegeek.com this idiom may have been established as far back as the 13th century. It’s latin form is Plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla silvis. This Greek Proverb was used in some of Aesop fables and the ancient romans continued it in the 1400’s. It was translated into the english language from the sport of hunting birds. Hunters thought that it was better to have one bird in hand than having two that got away. This translation, that a bird in the hand is worth more than two in the woods. What this is trying to express is, we are better off satisfied with what we have, than take a chance and lose everything.

-----Many pubs in England embraced the pub name as The Bird in Hand and there are still many today that use that name, such as a small town in Pennsylvania which is named Bird in Hand. The bird portrayed is said to be the falcon and the two birds in the bush would be the falcon’s prey. It is also thought that this phrase could have came from the biblical term in Ecclesiastes which is “A living dog is better than a dead lion.” People tend to want more than they actually need in life. So this idiom is trying to explain to us is not to be greedy in life, be happy with what we have, it is a sure thing!


References

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/329667/popular_phrases_orgin_and_meaning.ht...

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/a-bird-in-the-hand.html

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-bird-in-the-hand-is-better-than-two-in-the-bush-mea...

Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms, Author: Marvin Terban, 1996, Page 163