better an egg today than a hen tomorrow

proverb

It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

Similar
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bushtake the cash and let the credit go
OriginLatin ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora →
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Meanings

proverb
  1. It is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

    Synonyms: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, take the cash and let the credit go

Synonyms & antonyms

proverbIt is better to have a sure thing now than a possibility of more later.

Similar
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bushtake the cash and let the credit go
Also see
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Origin

  1. Latinad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora
  2. Englishbetter an egg today than a hen tomorrow

Calque of Latin ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora, from Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/better%20an%20egg%20today%20than%20a%20hen%20tomorrow

MLA

“better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/better%20an%20egg%20today%20than%20a%20hen%20tomorrow. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “better an egg today than a hen tomorrow,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/better%20an%20egg%20today%20than%20a%20hen%20tomorrow.

Source: better an egg today than a hen tomorrow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.