The early bird catches the worm.

The proverb rewards promptness: whoever starts early gets what latecomers miss. It is used to get children out of bed and to praise a rival who was first at the sale or the interview.

It has been recorded in English since the seventeenth century, when William Camden included it in his collection of the nation’s proverbs. Many languages give the same advice, usually with a blessing rather than a bird: Spanish “a quien madruga, Dios le ayuda”, God helps the early riser; German “Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund”, the morning hour has gold in its mouth; French “le monde appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt”, the world belongs to those who rise early.

The English proverb has become inseparable from its modern riposte, “but the second mouse gets the cheese”, which notes that rising early did the worm no good. Together they sum up a debate on initiative and prudence, and the bird has also lent its name to the discounts offered to those who book first.

English proverb