Meaning & Analysis
A small portion of kid (young goat) meat is better or more valuable than twice as much cat meat, implying that quality is preferable to quantity when the latter is of inferior kind.
Insights
Quality Over Quantity
Emphasizes that a small amount of something good or desirable surpasses a larger quantity of something less valuable or inferior. The proverb encourages discernment and appreciation for excellence.
Wise Choices
Suggests the wisdom in making prudent choices—valuing a little of the best over much of the worst, whether in possessions, relationships, or opportunities.
Historical Food Values
In historical contexts, kid was considered a delicacy while cat was regarded as undesirable food, underscoring social and culinary hierarchies of taste and class. The accompanying references (kid and kite, rabbit and rat) further accentuate the point through other food-based analogies.
Cross-cultural Parallels
Similar proverbs, such as 'A leg of a lark is better than the body of a kite,' appear in various cultures, illustrating a widespread human tendency to prize rarity and quality over abundance of the commonplace.
Moral and Social Commentary
The saying can serve as subtle social critique, advocating for the pursuit of excellence and discrimination in taste or association rather than settling for mediocrity or inferiority.
Rhetorical Devices
Antithesis
Juxtaposes 'a piece of kid' and 'two of a cat' to highlight the sharp contrast between quality and quantity, intensifying the proverb’s message.
Hyperbole
Exaggerates the inferiority of cat meat and superiority of kid to make its point more vivid and memorable.
Parallelism
Reinforces the comparison through balanced, mirrored phrasing, aiding in recall and oral tradition.
Transcription
Quotations
A peece of a kyd is woorth two of a cat. Who the diuell will chaunge a rabet for a rat?
A bit of kid's worth the body of a kite.
Cross References
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.