a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
a little knowledge is a dangerous thing
proverb Having a precursory or limited amount of knowledge about something can make one overestimate how well they will be able to do something much larger in scope or scale. Just because she painted her room by herself, now she thinks she can do the entire house—inside and out! A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, I tell you.
See also: dangerous, knowledge, little, thing
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
little knowledge is a dangerous thing
and little learning is a dangerous thingProv. Cliché If you only know a little about something, you may feel you are qualified to make judgments when, in fact, you are not. After Bill read one book on the history of Venezuela, he felt he was an authority on the subject, but he wound up looking like a fool in discussions with people who knew a lot more about it than he did. A little learning is a dangerous thing.
See also: dangerous, knowledge, little, thing
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
little knowledge is a dangerous thing, a
Also, a little learning is a dangerous thing. Knowing a little about something tempts one to overestimate one's abilities. For example, I know you've assembled furniture, but that doesn't mean you can build an entire wall system; remember, a little knowledge . This maxim, originally a line from Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism (1709), has been repeated with slight variations ever since. It is still heard, although less frequently, and sometimes shortened, as in the example.
See also: dangerous, knowledge, little
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- a little learning is a dangerous thing
- a bird in hand
- a bird in the hand
- a straw will show which way the wind blows
- a/the feel of (something)
- a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
- a slew of (something)
- (one) could use (something)
- a slue of (something)
- (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you