[9], Despite this modern origin of the popular phrase, the sentiment has been expressed by earlier writers. A character in the book says: The drawing shows me at one glance what might be spread over ten pages in a book.However, theres evidence that others expressed this earlier, and even much earlier. Whoever said it, their words were clearly very similar to the expression we know and use today, although not exactly the same.Shortly after, in 1913, an advertisement for the Piqua Auto Supply House of Piqua, Ohio, used the phrase one look is worth a thousand words. While the expression "A picture is worth 1,000 words" is meant to convey that an image means more than "talk," images can also compel us to volunteer, donate money, vote a . Hardly any sets of 10K words can be adequately described with pictures., A picture is worth a thousand words. An idiom is an expression with an intended meaning that typically cant fully be understood just by looking at the individual words that comprise it. A picture is worth a thousand words. Votes: 0, There's that statement, "A picture is worth a thousand words" - well, I think flying around in Google Earth is worth a million words. An interface is worth a thousand pictures., A professional headshot in front of a bookshelf says youre an intellectual. Relation between transaction data and transaction id. How to tell which packages are held back due to phased updates. Also, interestingly, people didnt report feeling any different. It's clear that this quote portrays much of what the idiom "a picture is worth a thousand words" does today. rev2023.3.3.43278. I use PhotoPad to sync our Samasource Flickr account to my iPad and slip it out of my purse at cocktail parties to tell our story., Whats great is that each medium has a unique set of things that it does and does well. Are there similar expressions to the Japanese saying I want to die on a tatami mat? In general, in a string of multiplication is it better to multiply the big numbers or the small numbers first? Linear Algebra - Linear transformation question. "One fact well understood by observation, and well guided development, is worth A picture is worth 1,000 words originated with the famed Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Carol Burnett, Worth of life depends on how much love you invested in it. "That tear, good girl, is worth, ten thousand words" - The Trust: A Comedy, in Five Acts, 1808. You know what it looks like but what is it called? The idea seems to have first been put forth around the turn of the twentieth century by a newspaper editor Tess Flanders, discussing strategies in publishing, editing and news reporting. This saying was invented by an advertising executive, Fred R. Barnard. Idioms have figurative rather than literal meanings. Alan Perlis In politics, a picture is worth a thousand words. More than a thousand words? "[10] The Russian writer Ivan Turgenev wrote in 1861, "The drawing shows me at one glance what might be spread over ten pages in a book. Votes: 0, In politics, a picture is worth a thousand words. A similar idea was seen very widely in the USA from the early 20th century, in adverts for Doan's Backache Kidney Pills, which included a picture of a man holding his back and the text "Every picture tells a story". . A long speech can accomplish a lot, but not as much as a good picture can. Synonyms Similar meaning. In an article in the Syracuse, New York, newspaper The Post-Standard about the event, the journalist quotes a speaker, Tess Flanders, as saying, Use a picture. definitions. Learn a new word every day. Why does it seem like I am losing IP addresses after subnetting with the subnet mask of 255.255.255.192/26? seeing is believing. Susan Bysiewicz Tupac Shakur. This is sometimes translated today as "A picture is worth a thousand words. A new finding could hasten development of lab-grown blood vessels and other tissues to replace and regenerate damaged tissues in human patients. That remains to be, um, seen. Draw a picture., With the selfies, a photographer has finally found his place in a photograph., Your mysterious young friend, whose name you have never told me, but whose picture really fascinates me, never thinks.. For example, its often easier to understand how to put a piece of furniture together by looking at pictures or illustrations, or even watching a video, of the necessary steps than it is to read paragraphs of instructions in a manual. Trochaic pentameter is an uncommon form of meter. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. An idiom is an expression with an intended meaning that typically can't fully be understood just by looking at the individual words that comprise it. Votes: 0, Use a picture. This idiom is also one of the easiest to understand if one has not heard it before or is new to the English language. All I want is for my images to be worth at least a thousand words. Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant, As illustrated above, this phrase is used to express that it can be easier to show something in a picture than to describe it by speaking words or using the written word. "A picture is worth a thousand words" means that images tell a better story than words. Quotes and Sayings About Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words A picture is worth a thousand words. A picture is worth a thousand words suggests that a picture contains far more in its colors and content than 1,000 words ever could. He may highlight a point of view that does not tell the whole story. (Postmodern) Bargain today: 1 picture for 1000 words! Washington Irving, Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own. a picture is worth 1,000 words phrase. The 1949 Home Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Familiar Phrases quotes Barnard as saying he called it "a Chinese proverb, so that people would take it seriously. Barnard wrote this phrase in the advertising trade journal Printers' Ink, promoting the use of images in advertisements that appeared on the sides of streetcars. The term was popularized in the 1920s by Fred R. Barnard, who is often credited with the origin of the proverb. An interface is worth a thousand pictures. Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art. Some examples for the inspiration: This quote is supposedly attributed to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: a good sketch is better than a long speech. In an article in The Post-Standard covering this event, the author quoted Arthur Brisbane (not Tess Flanders as previously reported here and elsewhere) as saying: "Use a picture. When you buy via the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. More specifically, its saying that often one single picture can more effectively convey something, or can depict something more vividly and clearly, than a lot of wordsand can certainly do so faster. (Forbes Magazine). Robert Richardson, There is a sacredness in tears. nouns. Votes: 2, If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address. 47 Most Famous Motivational Quotes of All-Time, 37 Inspirational Quotes that Will Change Your Life. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. (Playful, modern, Western) A picture is worth a thousand and 42 words. The viewer may not understand the context of what he is looking at, where a literary essay or some other written text may explain things more fully. "[11] The quote is sometimes attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, who said "A good sketch is better than a long speech" (French: Un bon croquis vaut mieux qu'un long discours). Votes: 0, If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much for a poem? Hardly any sets of 10K words can be adequately described with pictures. A picture might be worth a thousand words but a good sentence is worth a thousand windows. You could use it at work when youre telling a supplier to stop talking about a product and send you a picture so you can get a visual image. A picture is worth a thousand words. Writers of texts that describe concepts involving imagery or abstract thoughts need many words to get their points across. In contrast, positive words did not increase consumption. English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. Albert Einstein 'One picture is worth a thousand words' . "A picture is worth a thousand words" is an adage in multiple languages meaning that complex and sometimes multiple ideas[1] can be conveyed by a single still image, which conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a mere verbal description. These quotes about a picture being worth a thousand words reminds us of the various perspectives that can be derived from a single image. "[12], The phrase has been spoofed by computer scientist John McCarthy, to make the opposite point: "As the Chinese say, 1001 words is worth more than a picture."[13]. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. When someone doesnt understand an idiom or any other kind of colloquialism, the use is likely purposeless. Worth of life depends on how much love you invested in it. A library card's worth millions. The arbitrary escalation from 'one thousand' to 'ten thousand' and the switching from Japan to China as the source leads us to smell a rat with this derivation. A picture is worth a thousand words. Its origins are literary in nature and far easier to pin down than many other popular sayings with histories dating back to the 1600s or 1700s. Well, everyone has ideas, all the time. NPR's Scott Simon noted that it might not be true at all that "a picture is worth a thousand words." Perhaps it depends on our attention and interests. Accessed 5 Mar. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Required fields are marked *, Phrases Similar to A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Phrases Opposite to A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. One moose, two moose. The meaning is a little different, but it might still be applicable. You can use a picture is worth a thousand words in several social and professional situations. Can carbocations exist in a nonpolar solvent? A photograph or artwork may depict emotion, enabling the viewer to perceive the essence of the story without a word being written or spoken. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? I need this as a title for an article that illustrates that point in a specific context, but the original is obviously worn out. Another version of the phrase was used in an advertisement in a newspaper in 1913 and again in another advertisement in 1918. Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. For example, the similar phrase one timely deed is worth ten thousand words appeared in The Works of Mr. James Thomson, which is thought to have been originally published some time in the 1760s. A picture is worth a thousand words. Whoever came up first with that saying a picture is worth a thousand words didn't understand the first thing about either one. "We also tested if it matters whether these stimuli are presented very briefly or for a longer period of time.". Poem Solutions Limited International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, Discover and learn about the greatest poetry ever straight to your inbox. Even if youve never heard the term idiom, you have most likely heard many idiomatic expressions. It's far better to shoot a good picture than a good-looking picture. If a picture is worth a thousand words, photographers are worth a million. sentences. (Lancaster Farming), The inspiration for my project, A Pictures Worth a Thousand Words: Using Art to Study Culture and History, came when I taught 10th-graders in an advanced English class specific to the Cambridge International program. As far as the old adage: For now, at least, it appears that a picture is worth more than a single word. ", Computer scientist Edsger Dijkstra once remarked, "A picture may be worth a thousand words, a formula is worth a thousand pictures. I currently reside in Asheville, North Carolina. Likewise, its typically much simpler and quicker to figure out how to get from point A to point B by looking at a map than it is listening to someone tell you or reading about all the turns to make and landmarks to be on the lookout for on your drive. In 1911, the quote appeared in The Post-Standard, mostly recognizably as: Use a picture. Its about the memories and meanings it holds., If you refuse to develop in the dark, you create a distorted picture of your life., In politics, a picture is worth a thousand words., Photoghraphic projects can be as short as an afternoon or as long as a lifetime., She can paint a lovely picture, but this story has a twist. You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Its true what they say; a picture is worth a thousand words., A picture is worth a thousand words, and that picture has nothing good to say for itself., Dont you know that a picture is worth a thousand words? (It is also often written with a conjunction as a pictures worth a thousand words.). This was reported in two articles. What does the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words mean? Early use of the exact phrase appears in a 1918 newspaper advertisement for the San Antonio Light, which says: One of the Nation's Greatest Editors Says: One Picture is Worth a Thousand Words The San Antonio Light's Pictorial Magazine of the War Winkielman was supported by a grant from UC San Diegos Academic Senate. Accessed 5 March 2023. The second compared the effect of emotive words with images of emotionally charged objects, such as a gun or a cute dog. Still, credit for modern use of the phrase is usually given to Frederick R. Barnard (or Fred R. Barnard), who wrote the phrase in the advertising trade journal Printers Ink (sometimes incorrectly written as Printers Ink) to promote the use of images in advertisements on the sides of streetcars. He used the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words to discuss the use of drawn and photographic images to illustrate advertising. Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. In the same publication, around the same time period, the phrase one look is worth a thousand words can be found. All terms defined are created by a team of talented literary experts, to provide an in-depth look into literary terms and poetry, like no other. The phrase a picture is worth a thousand words means a picture may convey an idea more quickly and effectively than the written word. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and, if you find that you're . Is that true though? Its clear that this quote portrays much of what the idiom a picture is worth a thousand words does today. As in previous studies, participants drank more after seeing happy faces than after seeing angry faces. "A picture is worth a thousand words." Napoleon Bonaparte tags: art Read more quotes from Napolon Bonaparte Share this quote: Like Quote Recommend to friends Friends Who Liked This Quote To see what your friends thought of this quote, please sign up! "This echoes some previous studies, however we need stronger evidence to confidently claim that fleeting images work as well as more noticeable images in altering behavior.". . Is that true though? It means that images are more valuable than words when explaining concepts of events. The proverb a picture is worth a thousand words is probably not as old as you think. Because of this, sometimes the expression is incorrectly attributed to Confucius.