a little knowledge is a dangerous thing

English

Etymology

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

a little knowledge is a dangerous thing

  1. A limited understanding of a subject can lead individuals to overestimate their expertise, often resulting in errors or misguided decisions due to false confidence.
    Synonym: a little learning is a dangerous thing
    • 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.

See also

References

  1. ^ Gary Martin (1997–), “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, in The Phrase Finder, retrieved 26 February 2017.
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