--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The early bird may get the worm, but it's…" description: "\"The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.\" — Jeremy Paxman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/jeremy-paxman-19312_early-bird_the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s_2287134.jpg" --- # The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse… ![“The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.” quote by Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/jeremy-paxman-19312_early-bird_the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s_2287134.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/jeremy-paxman-19312_early-bird_the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s_2287134.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/jeremy-paxman-19312_early-bird_the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s_2287134.jpg) > “The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.” [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early action can bring rewards, but sometimes waiting yields greater payoff; timing matters. **In simple terms:** Early bird gets worm; second mouse gets cheese. Key Takeaway Consider timing before acting. Themes strategy patience risk reward timing Mood analytical pragmatic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career moves - investment decisions - negotiations - personal goals Key Concepts opportunity cost risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - When is it better to wait? - How do you evaluate risk vs reward? A Different Perspective Risk of missing early opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Early bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-bird/) [Mouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouse/) ## Related quotes > [The early bird may get the worm, but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-its-the-second-mouse-that-gets/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-early-bird-might-get-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse always gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-always-gets-the/) Proverb > [The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Early bird gets the worm, but second mouse gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/early-bird-gets-the-worm-but-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. —Steven Wright”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-benjamin/the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese-2/) [Oliver Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-benjamin/) > [“The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse who gets the cheese.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s-the-second-mouse-who-gets/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [“It's true that the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-berry/it-s-true-that-the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets/) [Steve Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-berry/) > [“The early bird catches the worm but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/the-early-bird-catches-the-worm-but-it-s-the-second-mouse-that-gets/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [The second mouse gets the cheese!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“the first bird may get the worm, but the second rat gets the cheese”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alston-gage/the-first-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-the-second-rat-gets-the-cheese/) Alston Gage > [Early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. Early bird gets the worm, but the second worm gets to live.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bergen/early-bird-gets-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese-early/) [Edgar Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bergen/) > [Over increasingly large areas of the United States, spring now comes unheralded by the return of the birds, and the early mornings are strangely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/over-increasingly-large-areas-of-the-united-states-spring-now-comes/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [I'm not an early bird at all. Ideally, on Saturday morning I'd allow myself a lovely lie-in. 10:45 would be just right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shilpa-shetty/i-m-not-an-early-bird-at-all-ideally-on-saturday-morning-i-d-allow/) [Shilpa Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shilpa-shetty/) ## More by Jeremy Paxman > [The promise of Western capitalism of ever rising rates of pay has turned out to be the cheque that bounced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-promise-of-western-capitalism-of-ever-rising-rates-of-pay-has/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [The early bird may get the worm, but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-its-the-second-mouse-that-gets/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [“Everything human … has its period: nations, like mortal men, advance only to decline; dismembered empire and diminished glory mark a crisis in the constitution;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/everything-human-has-its-period-nations-like-mortal-men-advance-only/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [I've always felt myself to be an outsider. I've always felt awkward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/i-ve-always-felt-myself-to-be-an-outsider-i-ve-always-felt-awkward/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [I'm afraid I tend to be thinking about things and not paying sufficient attention to one's posture, deportment and general cast of face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/i-m-afraid-i-tend-to-be-thinking-about-things-and-not-paying/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [I've always thought you have to live life looking forwards, not backwards. I've had no interest at all in who my ancestors are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/i-ve-always-thought-you-have-to-live-life-looking-forwards-not/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [The English approach to ideas is not to kill them, but to let them die of neglect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-english-approach-to-ideas-is-not-to-kill-them-but-to-let-them-die/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [It's stupid to have a simple-minded view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/it-s-stupid-to-have-a-simple-minded-view/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [It would be unforgivable to use the role I have, such as it is, to inflict my incoherent, half-baked view of the world on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/it-would-be-unforgivable-to-use-the-role-i-have-such-as-it-is-to/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [Scepticism is a necessary and vital part of the journalist's toolkit. But when scepticism becomes cynicism it can close off thought and block the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/scepticism-is-a-necessary-and-vital-part-of-the-journalist-s-toolkit/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [The defining problem of contemporary television is trust: Can you believe what you see on television, does television treat people fairly, is it healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-defining-problem-of-contemporary-television-is-trust-can-you/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [Has there ever been a visitor to Ludlow who hasn't wished they lived there?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/has-there-ever-been-a-visitor-to-ludlow-who-hasn-t-wished-they-lived/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [I hate the word 'sneering', I can't help the way my face looks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/i-hate-the-word-sneering-i-can-t-help-the-way-my-face-looks/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [I've spent my whole life being told I have a face like a horse. You are just what you are, aren't you?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/i-ve-spent-my-whole-life-being-told-i-have-a-face-like-a-horse-you/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [It's not just politicians. Any spokesman for a vested interest is well schooled in how to say what it is they wish to say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/it-s-not-just-politicians-any-spokesman-for-a-vested-interest-is-well/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) [Explore all 32 Jeremy Paxman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) ## More Early bird quotes > [The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The early bird may get the worm, but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-its-the-second-mouse-that-gets/) [Jeremy Paxman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/) > [The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-early-bird-might-get-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not an early bird at all. Ideally, on Saturday morning I'd allow myself a lovely lie-in. 10:45 would be just right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shilpa-shetty/i-m-not-an-early-bird-at-all-ideally-on-saturday-morning-i-d-allow/) [Shilpa Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shilpa-shetty/) > [“The early bird catches the worm but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/the-early-bird-catches-the-worm-but-it-s-the-second-mouse-that-gets/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [Over increasingly large areas of the United States, spring now comes unheralded by the return of the birds, and the early mornings are strangely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-carson/over-increasingly-large-areas-of-the-united-states-spring-now-comes/) [Rachel Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-carson/) > [I am both a night owl and an early bird. So I am wise and I have worms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-both-a-night-owl-and-an-early-bird-so-i-am-wise-and-i-have-worms/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In software systems it is often the early bird that makes the worm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/in-software-systems-it-is-often-the-early-bird-that-makes-the-worm/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [“God is an early bird; satan is a night owl. Everyone knows that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-acuff/god-is-an-early-bird-satan-is-a-night-owl-everyone-knows-that/) [Jonathan Acuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-acuff/) > [If the early bird gets the worm, does the early worm not get eaten?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lund/if-the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-does-the-early-worm-not-get-eaten/) [Josh Lund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lund/) > [“The early worm gets eaten by the early bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-early-worm-gets-eaten-by-the-early-bird/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The early bird gets the worm, and the early fox gets the bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-and-the-early-fox-gets-the-bird/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets-the-cheese/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What made me sign with the Cardinals? Because they used salesmanship, the personal touch. Where others wrote, they talked. Where others waited, they acted.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-musial/what-made-me-sign-with-the-cardinals-because-they-used-salesmanship/) [Stan Musial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-musial/) > [“It's true that the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-berry/it-s-true-that-the-early-bird-gets-the-worm-but-the-second-mouse-gets/) [Steve Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-berry/) [Browse all 74 Early bird quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/early-bird/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeremy Paxman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s-the-second-mouse-that-gets/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Early bird" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s-the-second-mouse-that-gets/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/jeremy-paxman-19312_early-bird_the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s_2287134.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/jeremy-paxman-19312_early-bird_the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s_2287134.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/928/jeremy-paxman-19312_early-bird_the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s_2287134.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The early bird may get the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese.” — Jeremy Paxman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeremy Paxman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-paxman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The early bird may get the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s-the-second-mouse-that-gets/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-paxman/the-early-bird-may-get-the-worm-but-it-s-the-second-mouse-that-gets/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```