'The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese' - Why was this mentioned?

'The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese' - Why was this mentioned? - A glaucus winged gull feeding on a shell

When Tony Stark was captured by Killian in Iron Man 3 (2013), Killian quoted the following as something that his grandfather used to say:

The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

But why did Killian mention this? Is it somehow significant to the events in the movie? Or was this just a quote thrown randomly?



Best Answer

That saying means, essentially, that it's just as productive to learn from someone else's mistake as it is to be the pioneer. Tony Stark is the pioneer, but Killian took Maya Hansen's Extremis virus and took that to the next level.

It was just a way for Killian to say that he and Stark are peers, whereas Stark seems to think just about everyone else is beneath him.




Pictures about "'The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese' - Why was this mentioned?"

'The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese' - Why was this mentioned? - Selective Focus Photography of Blue and Brown Bird on Blue Glass Canister
'The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese' - Why was this mentioned? - High-angle Photography of Gray Tower
'The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese' - Why was this mentioned? - Swan on Wood Log



What does the early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese mean?

So somebody might say the early bird gets the worm, meaning that you should act fast and then somebody can reply by saying yes, but the second mouse gets the cheese, meaning that you should act fast. Yes, true. But it's also good to learn from other people's mistakes and think first before you take an action.

WHO said the early bird catches the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese?

Often attributed to Jim Horning, who in turn attributes it to the Sufi sage/fool Mulla Nasrudin, born circa 1208. \u201cDon't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats.\u201d \u201cThe early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse who gets the cheese.\u201d

What is the meaning of the maxim The early bird gets the worm?

This English expression first appeared in a 1605 book of proverbs by William Camden. The idea behind the expression is that the birds that wake up the earliest have the best chance of catching a good meal, since no other birds have awoken to pick for worms.

What is the opposite of the early bird gets the worm?

The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese. The common phrase \u201cthe early bird gets the worm\u201d is normally given as counsel to be early or prompt.




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Guru Hebbar, Tina Nord, Scott Webb, Steve Johnson