Can’t judge a book by its cover

Meaning

The idiom "can't judge a book by its cover" means that one should not make judgments about something or someone based solely on their appearance or external characteristics. It encourages people to look beyond the surface and evaluate a person or thing more accurately based on their actions or inner qualities.

Usage

• Don't judge a book by its cover; you never know what's inside until you read it. - This sentence suggests that one should not form an opinion about a person or thing based solely on their appearance or external characteristics.
• I can't judge a book by its cover, but I have a feeling this person is hiding something. - In this sentence, the speaker is suggesting that they may not be able to make a judgment based solely on appearance, but they have an intuition that there is more to the person than meets the eye.
• You can't judge a book by its cover; some people are just really good at hiding their true selves. - This sentence suggests that it is possible for someone to hide their true self and that one should not assume anything based solely on appearance.
• It's important to remember that you can't judge a book by its cover; people may appear innocent but have hidden agendas. - In this sentence, the speaker is suggesting that even if someone appears innocent, they may still have hidden motives or agendas.
• I try not to judge a book by its cover when it comes to new job candidates. I want to give them a fair chance and evaluate them based on their skills and experience. - This sentence suggests that when looking for a new job candidate, one should not make judgments based solely on appearance but evaluate the person's qualifications more accurately.

Roots and History

The idiom "can't judge a book by its cover" dates back to at least the 16th century. The earliest known use of this phrase is found in a collection of proverbs from 1549, which includes the following: "You can't judge a book by its cover." This phrase has since become a common expression used to encourage people to look beyond the surface and evaluate a person or thing more accurately based on their actions or inner qualities.

Synonyms in English

• Don't judge a book by its title
• Don't judge a person by their clothes
• Don't judge a book by its cover or its blurb
• Look beyond appearances
• See past the surface

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: No juzgues a un libro por su cubierta
• French: Ne jugez pas un livre par sa couverture
• German: Es ist nicht richtig, einen Buch nach dem Titel zu beurteilen
• Italian: Non giudica un libro per la copertura
• Japanese: Bookの誜は書き名から判断できない

Similar Idioms

• cakewalk

• cold comfort

• couldn’t care less