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

This modern proverb is a humorous mash‑up of two bits of folk wisdom: “The early bird gets the worm” (rewarding initiative and speed) and the idea that the “second mouse” avoids the trap and thus gets the cheese (rewarding caution and learning from others’ mistakes). It circulates chiefly in late-20th-century American business and self-help culture, where it is used to temper “first-mover” enthusiasm with a reminder about risk, timing, and survivorship. The attribution is typically anonymous, and it is most often encountered in motivational talks, office humor, and management writing rather than in a single canonical literary text.

The saying argues that being first is not always best. The “early bird” image praises prompt action, but the “second mouse” image undercuts it by pointing out that the first mover may pay the cost of danger—here, the trap—while a follower can benefit from the pioneer’s misfortune or experimentation. In practical terms, it endorses strategic patience: watch what happens to the first attempt, learn from it, then act when conditions are safer or clearer. The wit comes from holding two contradictory maxims together, suggesting that wisdom lies in judging when to lead and when to wait.

1) “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
2) “The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
3) “The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”