(Inverse) One word is one thousandth of a picture. Lets explore the meaning and history of this popular idiomatic and proverbial expression. You can use a picture is worth a thousand words in several social and professional situations. It looks like we don't have any Quotes for this title yet. A satellite image is worth a million dollars. Votes: 0, A picture's 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". By using this idiom, as well as many others, they depend on readers to know what it means and get something out of it that couldnt be conveyed in another way. Fast forward to the early 20th century, to 1911 exactly, when the Syracuse Advertising Mens Club held a journalism banquet. Sayings similar to "a picture is worth a thousand words", We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Idiom for opportunistically exploiting a situation to one's advantage, What is the meaning of "Twice yet, carle, I'll come to Spain! One fact well understood by observation and well-guided development is worth a thousand times more than a thousand words.. The phrase a picture is worth a thousand words is usually referring to a physical illustration, but it is occasionally used as an exhortation to use description in ones writing, rather than simply reciting facts. 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. (Postmodern) Bargain today: 1 picture for 1000 words! You try to have characters give too much exposition. And when someone has hit the nail on the head, theyve gotten an answer exactly right or done something exactly as it should have been done.Although you might be able to understand the expression a picture is worth a thousand words just by looking at the words that comprise it, if you were to take it purely literally, youd understand it to mean that a picture is worth or is the same as/equivalent to exactly one thousand words. As is often the case with both idioms and proverbs in general, the exact origin of this expression isnt known. A picture is worth a thousand words. The popular phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words," meaning a single image can convey a complex idea or story, was introduced in the United states in the early 20th century. Votes: 3 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. Here are some additional examples of well-known proverbs: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. ", A first exploration of effective reasoning, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_picture_is_worth_a_thousand_words&oldid=1127175588, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Seeing something is better for learning than having it described, "A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed. When you gaze long into an abyss the abyss doesn't gaze back, you know its a bogus abyss? A photograph or artwork may depict emotion, enabling the viewer to perceive the essence of the story without a word being written or spoken. For example, if a character looks at a photo and uses this phrase, readers will likely have to fill in the gaps. The phrase also appears in the play, The Trust: A Comedy, in Five Acts, published in 1808, where it reads. Origins. One picture is worth ten thousand words." 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. Readers of articles or books must engage in a large amount of effort to mentally process the words in order to understand what the writer is trying to convey. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and, if you find that you're . "A picture is worth a thousand words". If a picture is worth a thousand words, photographers are worth a million. "We know from experience and from our other research that words in sentences are emotionally impactful, Winkielman said, but why? The distinction between the two is clear (now). People use a picture is worth 1,000 words when they want to admire how impactful an image is or encourage someone to delve into the image for meaning rather than requiring words to understand something. That is not to say that language doesnt sway us. I didn't realize how beautiful the place was until I saw her pictures. What is Mindfulness and How to Be Mindful? A Picture Is Worth Ten Thousand Words - Quote Investigator But even after all that, ?I found that life could be the most challenging puzzle we have to face., Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping stone to other things., Grown-ups and children are not readily encouraged to unearth the power of words. Participants also drank more after seeing positive objects than after seeing negative objects. A picture is worth a thousand words. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20picture%20is%20worth%20a%20thousand%20words. [5], The modern use of the phrase is generally attributed to Fred R. Barnard. Hardly any sets of 10K words can be adequately described with pictures. Further research is needed to figure that out. Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Trochaic pentameter is an uncommon form of meter. Chinese proverb. In a relatedprevious study, Winkielman and colleagues reported that showing brief images of happy faces to thirsty people led them to drink more of a mystery beverage immediately afterwards, while images of scowling faces led them to drink less. While words convey one idea, the use of images has the capacity to convey multiple at the same time while also engaging the viewer on a different level. Are there tables of wastage rates for different fruit and veg? Use a picture. As for a picture, if it isn't worth a thousand words, the hell with it. Votes: 2, A picture is worth a thousand words. Votes: 0, Ladies and gentlemen, a picture is not worth a thousand words. Writers use a picture is worth a thousand words in dialogue in any form of writing, from poetry to plays. Picture Is Worth Quotes - BrainyQuote Proverbs are also called adages, aphorisms, and maxims. Barnard claims the saying has Japanese origins, and Printers ink would later publish the phrase as the following. Winkielman believes it is the first paper to compare the behavioral effects of pictures and words. Blood is thicker than water. We will examine the definition of the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words, where the expression came from as well as some examples of its use in sentences. The phrase has appeared in books, television shows, and films, often used to convey something deeper than whats at the surface. Why does Mister Mxyzptlk need to have a weakness in the comics? The fascinating story behind many people's favori Can you handle the (barometric) pressure? Are you looking for a way to tell someone to send you a picture of what they are trying to explain? Learn a new word every day. (Scientific) One whiteboard is worth approximately 31415 words. A picture is worth a thousand words here. Votes: 0, A picture might be worth a thousand words but a good sentence is worth a thousand windows Menu. "A picture is worth a thousand words" originates with the famed Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. A picture is worth a thousand words - PBS NewsHour Classroom Votes: 3, A picture is worth a thousand words. Please continue to help us support the fight against dementia with Alzheimer's Research Charity. This phrase emerged in the USA in the early part of the 20th century. For the Nozomi from Shinagawa to Osaka, say on a Saturday afternoon, would tickets/seats typically be available - or would you need to book? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. A picture is worth a thousand words is a common, useful idiom thats used by English speakers all over the world. - Did we make a mistake? Writers of texts that describe concepts involving imagery or abstract thoughts need many words to get their points across. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. (USA Today), If a picture is worth a thousand words, then think of the slide as the thousand words you wont have time to say a supportive addition to your words. Votes: 2, If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address. The Works of Mr. James Thomson, published in 1802 has the earliest rendition of the phrase as the following. Votes: 3 Wim Wenders A picture is worth a thousand words. 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. "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. Fred R. Barnard A graphic illustration conveys a stronger message than words, as in The book jacket is a big selling pointone picture is worth a thousand words. A picture is worth a thousand words is considered both an idiom and a proverb. When a relationship is developed so closely, the individual may become regarded as a member of their own family. (Modern, technological) A pixel is worth 1024 bits. Be the first to contribute! Ironically, its going to take quite a few words to explain the etymology of the common phrase. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I need this as a title for an article that illustrates that point in a specific context, but the original is obviously worn out. (The playwright Henrick Ibsen is credited as saying something very similar in the late 19th century: A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed.) Other phrases that can be traced to the 1800s convey that a tear is worth ten thousand words and that a well-understood fact is worth more than a thousand words.The specific idea that a picture is worth a thousand, or ten thousand, words is thought by some researchers to have first appeared in print in 1862, in the novel Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. Teaching drama is an important part of education. Someone who simply views an image can capture the essence of the meaning of that image without a lot of explaining. In 1911, the quote appeared in The Post-Standard, mostly recognizably as: Use a picture. This was reported in two articles. her paintbrush is a razor, and her canvas is her wrist., Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second., The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter., The world before us is a postcard, and I imagine the story we are writing on it., They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. In the nonprofit world, the right picture is worth tens of thousands of dollars. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College and a Master of Education (MEd) in Secondary English Education from the University of Florida. Whoever came up first with that saying a picture is worth a thousand words didn't understand the first thing about either one. The second compared the effect of emotive words with images of emotionally charged objects, such as a gun or a cute dog. They didnt think their mood had changed, even while their behavior did. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A picture is worth a thousand words. 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. a picture is worth a thousand words - Merriam-Webster For example, Leonardo da Vinci wrote that a poet would be "overcome by sleep and hunger before [being able to] describe with words what a painter is able to [depict] in an instant. . Are you asking for something that doesn't exist? All rights reserved. Votes: 2, If a picture is worth a thousand words, photographers are worth a million. , I love you beyond paint, beyond melodies, beyond words. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. nouns. Today, the UC system has more than 280,000 students and 227,000faculty and staff, with 2.0million alumni living and working around the world. Background: Many sources attribute this expression to Frederick R. Barnard, who published a 1921 article on the effectiveness of graphics in advertising with the title, "One look is worth a thousand words." Barnard, in turn, attributed the expression to "a Japanese philosopher." A similar use of the expression later in the 1920s claimed that it . This idiom is also one of the easiest to understand if one has not heard it before or is new to the English language. A picture really is worth a thousand words. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. 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. One picture is worth a thousand words. 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. A long speech can accomplish a lot, but not as much as a good picture can. Hardly any sets of 10K words can be adequately described with pictures." "A picture is worth a thousand words. It's far better to shoot a good picture than a good-looking picture. Quotes about Picture worth thousand words (41 quotes) - Quote Master He was quoted saying the following: A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed. (Postmodern, Stock market): 1 picture closes at 1000.0 words. Barnard claimed the phrase's source to be oriental by adding "so said a famous Japanese philosopher, and he was right". An interface is worth a thousand pictures., A professional headshot in front of a bookshelf says youre an intellectual. He also used the term a picture is worth ten thousand words, though one thousand is the current quantity used in the expression. Parts of speech. To save this word, you'll need to log in. Who it was that married 'worth ten thousand words' with 'picture' isn't known, but we do know that the phrase is American in origin. Several of the ads used phrases like One look is worth a thousand words and One picture worth ten thousand words. At this point, the history was muddier than it is today, and it was generally believed to be a Chinese proverb attributed to Confucius. 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. "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.". Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'. Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? Some examples for the inspiration: This quote is supposedly attributed to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte: a good sketch is better than a long speech. Its time to face the music means that its time to come to terms with the consequences of your actions. By using images, you can convey your message in a visual representation that impacts others. A picture is worth a thousand words. - Fred R. Barnard 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. Votes: 0, If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the imagination is worth a thousand pictures. In one ad, Barnard called the phrase a Chinese proverb (he later wrote that it was said by a Japanese philosopher), though he didnt have proof of such an origin. A picture is worth a thousand words. This MessagePointing the Way to Easter Smartnessis indeed eloquent and informative. A new finding could hasten development of lab-grown blood vessels and other tissues to replace and regenerate damaged tissues in human patients. Its introduction is widely attributed to Frederick R. Barnard, who published a piece commending the effectiveness of graphics in advertising with the title "One look is worth a thousand words", in Printer's Ink, December 1921. A library card's worth millions. In conclusion, QI believes that Arthur Brisbane should receive primary credit for this saying based on the citations dated March 28, 1911 and July 26, 1915. A picture is worth 1,000 words originated with the famed Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Winkielman was supported by a grant from UC San Diegos Academic Senate. (Forbes Magazine). In all seriousness, people think that it's the ideas that are important. Baldwin, Emma. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the imagination is worth a thousand pictures. Idioms have figurative rather than literal meanings. Votes: 2, A picture is worth a thousand words, but conversations with them generally end in dissapointment. (The Herald Tribune), It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III wrote above three pictures depicting mice near and, in one case, resting on top of the device. - Do you have feedback or suggestions on how we can improve? There is a sacredness in tears. One picture is worth a thousand words Albert Einstein 5 A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. Printer's Ink printed another form of the phrase in March 1927, this time suggesting a Chinese origin: "Chinese proverb. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. a picture is worth a thousand words phrase. History [ edit] EDIT To clarify: I'm trying to illustrate the point that it's easier to convince someone of a fact if you show them it, than if you just describe it. Even if youve never heard the term idiom, you have most likely heard many idiomatic expressions. Grown-ups and children are not readily encouraged to unearth the power of words. Its worth a thousand words. Others credit the quote to that event but to newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane. Thousand Words Quotes - BrainyQuote Likewise, rather than literally being handed a tool for chopping wood, if you get the ax from your boss, it means youre getting fired. -- Ben Shneiderman #Technology #Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words #Thousand If a picture is worth a thousand words, in business, so is a number. The first experiment compared the effect of words that were rated as emotionally positive, like panda, or emotionally negative, like knife, to the effect of happy and angry facial expressions. He was quoted saying the following: A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed. Linear regulator thermal information missing in datasheet. "In our experiment, the duration of the emotional cue did not matter for its ability to influence consumption," said Winkielman. "[7] Nonetheless, the proverb soon after became popularly attributed to Confucius. @David Toth, this is a great list! (Inverse) One word is one thousandth of a picture. sentences. In french: "Un bon croquis vaut mieux qu'un long discours". Is it because they can conjure up images?". You have chattered enough about corruption. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.Discover many more idioms and proverbs here.

Summary

The idiomatic and proverbial expression a picture is worth a thousand words is used to convey that a picture, or image, or graphic illustration may better convey or describe something than many written or spoken wordsthat it may be easier, and much faster, to just show someone something than to tell them about it. More than a thousand words? "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! A professional headshot peeking though a bookshelf says youre probably under a restraining order., A technically perfect photograph can be the worlds most boring picture., Any problem can be made clearer with a picture, and any picture can be created using the same set of tools and rules., Come, I tell you. (Multiplied) 3 pictures are worth 3000 words. In contrast, positive words did not increase consumption. What is the purpose of non-series Shimano components? Accessed 5 March 2023. He promoted the use of advertising images on the sides of streetcars. . thesaurus. It's worth a thousand words. Is that true though? This saying was invented by an advertising executive, Fred R. Barnard. @ect No. All I want is for my images to be worth at least a thousand words. For the past 15 years, I've dedicated my career to words and language, as a writer, editor, and communications specialist and as a language arts educator. 'Hiemal,' 'brumation,' & other rare wintry words. They have to choose wisely so that readers are interested in engaging with their story. nouns.