proverb · Words worth keeping
One day a rooster, the next day a feather duster.
One day a rooster, the next day a feather duster.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying moves from a rooster one day to a feather duster the next. It depicts a sharp reversal from prominence to diminished standing.
What the words are saying
The two objects give changing fortune a deliberately stark contrast. A useful interpretation can question assuming present popularity will continue without treating a setback as a loss of human worth. The unrelated fragments in the supplied gloss establish neither a separate meaning nor an origin.
Everyday example
Someone recognises that public attention can change while keeping their sense of value independent of attention.
When to use it
Use it to discuss unstable prominence without judging dignity by status.
What it does not mean
No inevitable fall, historical origin or measure of human worth is established.
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
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 424; PDF page 63
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.