All cats are not to be set down for witches.
All cats are not to be set down for witches.
Meaning in plain English
A resemblance or suspicious association is not enough to condemn every member of a group. Look for evidence about the particular case before attaching a frightening label.
Example
A manager investigates a specific accounting discrepancy instead of assuming that every employee in the department took part in it.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Cats are placed under suspicion through their association with witches in the image. The warning rejects treating that association as proof about every cat. Applied more broadly, it questions judgments based on a shared appearance, category or reputation instead of what an individual has actually done. The useful step is to name the evidence and ask whether it supports the accusation in this instance. The wording supplies a figurative caution about classification, not information about witchcraft or an endorsement of accusations against people described as witches.
When to use it
Use it to question condemnation based on category or association.
Keep in mind
Evidence can support a pattern across a group, but the pattern still needs careful examination. Avoid repeating accusations as established facts.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 23; French section, paragraph 464; source wording: Il ne faut pas faire passer tous les chats pour des sorciers.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗