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It is better to be prudent than merely courageous, as in I'm signing up for the easy course first; discretion is the better part of valor. This proverb, a synonym of LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, was first recorded in 1477. Charles Churchill put it in poetic form: "Even in a hero's heart, Discretion is the better part" (The Ghost, 1762). Shakespeare Also used a form of it: "The better part of valor is discretion" (I Henry IV, 5:4).
American Heritage Idioms
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Phrase(s): Discretion is the better part of valor.
Prov. It is good to be brave, but it is also good to be careful.; If you are careful, you will not get into situations that require you to be brave. • Son: Can I go hang gliding with my friends? Father: No. Son: But they’ll say I’m chicken if I don’t go! Father: Discretion is the better part of valor, and I’d rather have them call you chicken than risk your life.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs