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