- This everyday expression means that it is better to choose an object or individual of high quality, rather than have many but of lower quality.
- The expression comes from Aesop's Fables, ‘The Lioness and the Vixen’. Aesop lived between c. 620-560 BCE.
Aesop’s Fable ‘The Lioness and the Vixen’
- Two mothers, a Lioness and a Vixen, were admiring their children.
- The Vixen told the Lioness that she was very proud of her litter of cubs, and made the pointed remark that the Lioness only had one cub.
- The Lioness politely agreed, but went on to point out that her one cub was a Lion.
- The moral of the story is that quality is more important than quantity.
Everyday Expressions that come from Aesop