proverb · Words worth keeping
Fish are not to be caught by a birdcall.
Fish are not to be caught by a birdcall.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A method suited to one purpose may be useless for another. Choose an approach that fits the task rather than repeating a familiar technique regardless of what it can achieve.
Example
A curator replaces a dense technical catalogue with a short illustrated guide for first-time visitors instead of printing more copies of the unsuitable text.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The birdcall belongs to attracting birds, while the desired catch is a fish. Bringing the two together makes the mismatch easy to see. Figuratively, an explanation, invitation or tool can be well designed for one audience or job and still fail elsewhere. The point is not that a method is worthless in itself, but that its usefulness depends on the purpose. Before trying harder with the same approach, ask whether it addresses the actual problem and what response it can reasonably produce. Adapting the method may be more effective than increasing effort within an unsuitable one.
When to use it
Use it when a familiar method is being applied to a task or audience it does not suit.
Keep in mind
An unsuccessful method may be mismatched rather than universally bad; check the actual purpose and audience.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English