bird in the hand, a

What one already has is better than what one might possibly get. The complete saying, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” is an ancient Greek proverb, quoted in several of Aesop’s fables. It was repeated by the Romans and appeared in English in the fifteenth cen- tury. There are numerous versions in other languages. See also POSSESSION IS NINE POINTS OF THE LAW.