the proof is in the pudding en · X
Etymology
This phrase is a shortened form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating (14th century). The shorter version, which misses the point of the original meaning, is found in an issue in 1867 of the British Farmer's Magazine, came into common use in the United States in the 1950s, and is becoming increasingly common.
Meanings
- (alt-of, alternative, proscribed, sometimes) Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.