All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Meaning of Idiom ‘All that Glitters is Not Gold’

All that glitters is not gold means that just because something is externally attractive it is not good or desirable. In other words, although something may appear to have high value, it may be worthless. ¹, ²,³

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Usage

This idiom, used as a standalone phrase, can refer to persons, ideas, objects, etc. Often ‘all that glitters’ is used alone, especially in news stories. This usage is often a play on the idiom to refer to actual shiny objects, especially gold, diamonds, jewelry, etc., such as in this example:

“He consciously rejected the trappings of a wealthy lifestyle and “all that glitters” for a simple life.”

Examples Of Use

“Be careful when buying a house and make sure you do a thorough inspection. Some houses may look great on the outside but remember, all that glitters is not gold.”

“I really wanted a sports car and this one looked so awesome. I found out the hard way that all that glitters is not gold. It’s been in the shop constantly since I bought it.”

“Such comprehensive tax cuts seemed to be a boon to the people. All that glitters is not gold, however.”

Origin

This idiom derives from an old proverb, appearing in various writings, including Shakespeare, since at least the 1850s, including Aesop’s Fables, where it appeared in similar wording as early as 1175. ⁴

The Aesop’s Fable The Hen and the Golden Eggs illustrates the concept. In this story,  a farmer has a hen that lays golden eggs. The farmer thinks that, since the hen lays golden eggs, the hen herself must be filled with gold. Therefore, he slaughters it, only to find that inside, it is just an ordinary hen.

More Idioms Starting with A

• Add Fuel to the Fire
• All Tuckered Out
• Are You Writing a Book?
• Army Brat
• And How

More Aesop’s Fables Related Idioms

• Worth Its Weight in Gold
• Midas Touch, the
• Heart of Gold, to have a
• Gild The Lily

More All Idioms

• All Tuckered Out
• All Hell Breaks Loose
• All of a Sudden
• After All
• Not For All the Tea in China

More Gold Idioms

• Worth Its Weight in Gold
• Midas Touch, the
• Heart of Gold, to have a
• Gild The Lily

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References

1. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
2. Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
3. Bengelsdorf, Peter. Idioms in the News – 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples. N.p.: Amz Digital Services, 2012.
4. Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.