Many well-known proverbs are not what they seem. Some once meant something quite different, and others have a second half, called a rejoinder, that changes or even reverses their meaning: curiosity killed the cat, for example, often continues but satisfaction brought it back.
You find proverbs everywhere: in newspapers, books, magazines, online articles, and social media posts. If you want to use one in your writing, or need a witty reply to someone who likes throwing them around, here are 5 proverbs that are not quite what you think. (For the difference between a saying, an idiom, and a metaphor, see idioms and metaphors.)
Curiosity killed the cat
The saying goes back to the 1590s, but in a different form. In Ben Jonson's play Every Man in His Humour (1598), the line is "care killed the cat", and William Shakespeare used a similar line in Much Ado About Nothing soon after. Care meant worry or sorrow here, not curiosity.
An early printed example of the modern wording, with curiosity, dates from 1873. It appears in A Handbook of Proverbs: English, Scottish, Irish, American, Shakespearean, and Scriptural; and Family Mottoes by James Allan Mair.
The meaning you know: Don't be too curious, and don't poke your nose into everything, or you may get hurt.
Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back
The version with the rejoinder but satisfaction brought it back is sometimes taken to be the original. It is younger, though: it was first recorded in 1905 as "Curiosity killed a cat; but it came back". The first version with satisfaction dates from 1912.
The changed meaning: Curiosity may harm you, but the satisfaction of finding the truth is worth it. So be curious, look for the truth, and keep learning.
Blood is thicker than water
The idea behind "blood is thicker than water" first appears in a medieval German beast epic, a fable with animals as its characters: Reinhart Fuchs, about Reynard the fox. In 1670, the proverb appeared in its modern English form in John Ray's collection of English proverbs.
The meaning you know: Family comes first. A family member always matters more than any bond with people outside it.
The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb
Some authors, among them Albert Jack and Richard Pustelniak, have claimed that this longer line is the original form. No early text with this wording is known, but the interpretation is popular.
The changed meaning: A bond sealed in blood between comrades, and so made by choice, is stronger than one formed by birth.
Jack of all trades
In Elizabethan English, a Jack of all trades was someone who could turn their hand to any kind of work, and the phrase was often meant kindly. A Latin-style version of it was Johannes factotum, roughly "Johnny do-it-all". It could also be an insult, though: one of the most famous early uses is by the writer Robert Greene, who in 1592 mocked William Shakespeare as "an absolute Johannes fac totum".
The original meaning: A person who can do many different jobs.
Jack of all trades, master of none
The words master of none were added later, and they made the phrase negative.
The meaning you know: Someone who knows a little about many things but cannot do any of them really well.
Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one
Did you know that there is an even longer version? It is sometimes said to be the full text of the proverb, but there is no early evidence for that.
The changed meaning: It is better to know a little about many things than to be an expert in one thing and know nothing about anything else.
Great minds think alike
There is no clear first mention of "great minds think alike". The idea is said to go back to the early 1600s, and one of the earliest examples of the modern wording is found in a text from 1816 by Theodor von Ulanski.
The meaning you know: Said when two or more people come to the same conclusion.
Great minds think alike, but fools seldom differ
This rejoinder, which is more common in British English, takes away the compliment at once.
The changed meaning: People with a narrow view or limited intelligence also reach the same conclusions. So an idea that many people share is not necessarily a good one.
Carpe diem
Carpe diem goes back to 23 BC. It is a Latin phrase from the Odes of the Roman poet Horace, and it means "seize the day". The acronym YOLO, short for "you only live once", expresses much the same idea today.
The meaning you know: Enjoy today, and don't worry about tomorrow.
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero
The full line is less carefree than the modern use of the phrase. It can be translated as "seize the day, and put as little trust as possible in tomorrow".
The changed meaning: The future is uncertain, so make good use of the time you have today instead of putting things off until tomorrow.
Before you use a proverb
A proverb can make your writing livelier, but only if it says what you mean. Before you use one, think about where it comes from, and whether your readers might know a longer version that means something else.