![]() It’s possible “great minds think alike” was derived from “good wits doe jumpe.” The 1800s “Jumpe” here means “agree with.” So you can see the essence of the modern idiom in this quote. That doesn’t seem terribly close to “great minds think alike” at first, but keep in mind that Belchier was writing in the period of Early Modern English. He wrote, “Though he made that verse, Those words were made before. The first example we have of someone expressing the core idea of this idiom in writing is in a 1618 comedy written by Dabridgcourt Belchier, “Hans Beer-Pot.” It was likely spoken quite a bit before anyone ever wrote it down, but we only have print examples. What Is The Origin Of “Great Minds Think Alike”?Īs with many idioms, the origin of “great minds think alike” isn’t completely clear. Watch the video: Only 1 percent of our visitors get these 3 grammar questions right. ![]() It means that having the same idea as someone else doesn’t make it a good idea. This “full” version of the idiom has almost the opposite meaning as the common version. Some sources claim that the full version of this idiom is actually “great minds think alike, but fools rarely differ.” Whether or not this is the true full version of the idiom is debatable (more on that later), but it does change the meaning. She’s also saying she thinks it’s a great idea. Here, Sally is calling attention to their shared idea. Here’s an example dialogue to give you an idea of how it might be used: It’s a playful way to call attention to the shared idea and commend the other person for being as clever as you. “Great minds think alike” is used when someone has the same idea or thought as someone else in roughly the same time period. What Does “Great Minds Think Alike” Mean? One of the most common English idioms is “great men think alike.” But what does it really mean? How do native speakers use this phrase? This article will explore the meaning, origin, and usage of this common idiom.
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