you can't catch old birds with chaff

proverb

The wisest and the most experienced cannot be easily deceived.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. The wisest and the most experienced cannot be easily deceived.

Origin

Referencing a quotation of Miguel de Cervantes: "You must not think, sir, to catch old birds with chaff."

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

you can't catch old birds with chaff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20catch%20old%20birds%20with%20chaff

MLA

“you can't catch old birds with chaff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20catch%20old%20birds%20with%20chaff. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “you can't catch old birds with chaff,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20catch%20old%20birds%20with%20chaff.

Source: you can't catch old birds with chaff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.