WHO said the early bird may get the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese?

Jim Horning
Often attributed to Jim Horning, who in turn attributes it to the Sufi sage/fool Mulla Nasrudin, born circa 1208. “Don’t worry about people stealing an idea. If it’s original, you will have to ram it down their throats.” “The early bird may get the worm, but it’s the second mouse who gets the cheese.”

What is the meaning of the early bird gets the worm?

Definition. Being first improves the chances of success. The early bird gets the worm is a proverb which emphasizes the importance of starting something early to maximize the potential outcome.

What comes after the early bird gets the worm?

Prov. If you wake up and get to work early, you will succeed. (Sometimes used to remark that someone is awake and working surprisingly early, as in the first example.)

How do you respond to the second mouse gets the cheese?

Okay? It’s a lot of the time it’s used together with the early bird gets the worm. So somebody might say the early bird gets the worm, meaning that you should act fast and then somebody can reply by saying yes, but the second mouse gets the cheese, meaning that you should act fast. Yes, true.

Which mouse gets the cheese?

second mouse
The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Who catches the first worm?

Also, early bird gets the worm. One who arrives first has the best chance for success, as in She’s always the first one in line and does well at these auctions—the early bird catches the worm!

What is the meaning of early birds?

If someone calls you an early bird, it means that you tend to get up very early in the morning. It’s usually a compliment to be called an early bird. Early birds are people with a natural habit of waking early, and often also going to bed before it gets too late.

Where does the second mouse gets the cheese come from?

Dear Quote Investigator: I am trying to discover where the following maxim comes from: The second mouse gets the cheese. Sometimes this phrase appears as part of a longer saying: The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

What does the phrase’the second mouse gets’mean?

The “second mouse” part refers to a mouse being caught, and killed, in a trap baited with cheese. Once the trap is sprung, any mouse that comes by can eat the cheese (that is next to the dead mouse). Wild birds are out and about searching for limited resources. The earlier one gets to the worm, the more like that bird is to get it.

What does the second mouse get the worm?

Sometimes this phrase appears as part of a longer saying: The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Who is the early bird or the second mouse?

Are You the Early Bird or the Second Mouse? The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese. The common phrase “the early bird gets the worm” is normally given as counsel to be early or prompt.

Sometimes this phrase appears as part of a longer saying: The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Your help would be greatly appreciated.