Don’t Count Your Chickens

“Don’t count your chickens” is a shortened version of “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched”.

It is an English proverb that has been used for over 500 years. In fact, though, its first known use was more than 2,000 years ago in one of Aesop’s fables: “The Milkmaid and her Pail”. In this fable, a milkmaid is carrying her pail (or bucket) of milk on her head. She is dreaming about the cream she would get from the milk, how she would turn the cream into milk which she would sell at the market. She would use the money to buy eggs which she would sell to buy a beautiful dress to wear at a dance. Because she is thinking more about the dress than about what she is doing. The pail falls off her head the milkmaid spills the milk

When she tells her mother what has happened, her mother tells her: “You shouldn’t have counted your chickens before they hatched”.

We use the proverb to mean that when we are making plans for the future we shouldn’t rely on something that isn’t certain.

Some examples:

• That might never happen – don’t count your chickens.
• I told him not to get too excited about that new job; he might not get it. But he is always counting her chickens before they hatch.
• If that deal goes ahead, he could get a lot of money from it. But she’s being very sensible and not counting her chickens before they hatch.

Similar sayings include:

• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
• It’s not over until the fat lady sings.
• It’s not over until it’s over.
• Look before you leap.
• Better safe than sorry.

^{Posted by Graham}