Proverb Quotes

Context

This line is a misquoted proverb.

There are many subgenres of mystery novels these days. There are mysteries about people who crochet, people who walk dogs, and people who really like NASCAR. There are also enough culinary mysteries to give Gordon Ramsey literal kitchen nightmares. We imagine at the end of one of them, when the arsenic-laced tapioca is discovered, someone must say, "The proof is in the pudding."

In that case, and only that case, does this quote actually make sense. See, it's a misquote. The original proverb is, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating." In other words, you don't know if that creamy chocolate pudding tastes as good as it looks until you put it in your mouth.

But if you need an Official Pudding Taster, please e-mail us.

Where you've heard it

Today, this is the culinary version of a smoking gun, said whenever the evidence to a crime has been found.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

While the misquote doesn't make any sense, neither quote is particularly pretentious. Although it may be worth noting before you use it that, when this proverb originated, "pudding" meant "sausage." So before you volunteer to taste a pudding, make sure it isn't filled with sheep's brains or pheasant liver or something.