a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
A slight misquotation of Alexander Pope’s a little learning is a dangerous thing. The earliest use dates from a magazine published in 1774.[1]
Proverb[edit]
a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
- A small amount of knowledge can mislead individuals into believing that they are more experienced and expert than what is actually the case.
- 1926, Francis Blake Atkinson, Hallam Hawksworth, A Year in the Wonderland of Trees, page 176:
- Of course anybody can saw off a limb; but here, as so often happens, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and a little more will often save a dear old friend of the family and the neighborhood.
Synonyms[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Gary Martin (1997–) “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 26 February 2017.