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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

bird in the hand en · X

Meanings

  1. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
    • “Well, there is that, sir,” Harcourt replied after a moment to think that over. “Bird in the hand, and all that?” 2014, Dewey Lambdin, The King's Marauder, New York: Thomas Dunne Books, →ISBN, page 150:
    • You're afraid of losing the customer. If I offer them this other product, they might stop buying that product for which they've come to me for years. Bird in the hand, right? 2018, Alex Goldfayn, Selling Boldly, Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN:
    • A little bit of cash now means more to the boys than the promise of a fortune who knows when. Bird in the hand, and all […] 2019, Tim Buckley, Cara is Missing, Kibworth Beauchamp: Matador, →ISBN, pages 276–277:
    • Elly had ratcheted up the pressure with her threats of leaving early. I had no other bites on the ad. “Bird in the hand” and all that . . . . So much for negotiating. 2003, Robert C. Hereth, Money, Xlibris Corp., →ISBN, page 192:
    • ‘Look on the bright side,’ he said when he’d finished. ‘At least we got five hundred quid. Bird in the hand, eh?’ 2013, Andrew Taylor, “Catch-13”, in Martin Edwards, editor, Deadly Pleasures, Sutton: Severn House, →ISBN, page 219:
    • Cowboys picks are more miss than hit. Galloway is a relatively young guy, so what the hey. Bird in the hand, right? 2000 September 6, Maze II, “the Seattle curse?”, in alt.sports.football.pro.dallas-cowboys (Usenet):