the proof is in the pudding

A form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating — One can only claim that something is a success after it has been tried out or used.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativeproscribedsometimesAlternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Origin

This phrase is a shortened form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating (14th century). The shorter version, which misses the point of the original meaning, is found in an issue in 1867 of the British Farmer's Magazine, came into common use in the United States in the 1950s, and is becoming increasingly common.

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Cite this entry
APA

the proof is in the pudding. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20proof%20is%20in%20the%20pudding

MLA

“the proof is in the pudding.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20proof%20is%20in%20the%20pudding. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the proof is in the pudding,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20proof%20is%20in%20the%20pudding.

Source: the proof is in the pudding on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.