proverb · Source-linked selection
A fool knows more in his own house than a wise man in another's.
A fool knows more in his own house than a wise man in another's.
In print by 1893 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Local experience can give an ordinary resident knowledge that an accomplished visitor lacks. The contrast warns against confusing general intelligence or prestige with familiarity with a particular place and its routines.
What the words are saying
The house is a setting its resident knows through repeated experience. A visitor may be capable in many ways and still not know where things are kept or how a particular arrangement works. The proverb reverses the usual hierarchy between fool and wise man to expose that difference. Its useful lesson is to ask the people who know the situation before imposing an answer from outside. Familiarity does not make every local judgment correct, and fresh observation may reveal a problem residents overlook. The insulting label should therefore be treated as part of the saying’s contrast, not a fair assessment of anyone’s intelligence.
Everyday example
An experienced organiser asks a new caretaker which door sticks before planning access.
When to use it
Use it when local knowledge deserves a hearing.
Put a useful idea into practice: try the free seven-day guide ↗
What it does not mean
Neither prestige nor familiarity guarantees a correct judgment.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional proverb
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1893 AD · industrial
In print by 1893: recorded in Dictionary of Quotations (1893). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Dictionary of Quotations (1893) (1893 AD)
Printed citation: Pr. · page_005
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.