Proverbs
Finish the Proverb: A Bird in the Hand Is Better Than Ten on the…?
Complete: "A bird in the hand is better than ten on the ___."
People also ask
What is the answer to 'A bird in the hand is better than ten on the ___'?
The answer is 'the tree' — the full proverb is 'A bird in the hand is better than ten on the tree,' meaning something you already have is worth more than many things you might never get. The more common English wording is 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,' but this riddle uses the 'ten on the tree' form.
What does 'a bird in the hand is worth more than ten on the tree' mean?
It means it's safer to keep the smaller, certain thing you already hold than to risk it chasing a bigger, uncertain reward you may never catch.
Why 'ten on the tree' and not 'two in the bush'?
'Ten on the tree' mirrors the Arabic proverb 'عصفور في اليد خير من عشرة على الشجرة.' English speakers more often say 'two in the bush,' which is why the wording trips so many people up.