father

child is father of the man and child is father to the man

Prov. People's personalities form when they are children; A person will have the same qualities as an adult that he or she had as a child. (From William Wordsworth's poem, "My Heart Leaps Up.") In Bill's case, the child was father of the man; he never lost his childhood delight in observing nature.

See also: child, man

Experience is the father of wisdom, and Experience is the mother of wisdom.

Prov. The more that happens to you, the more you will learn. I never understood why supervisors got so frustrated with me until I became a supervisor and got frustrated with my subordinates. Experience was definitely the mother of wisdom, in my case.

See also: experience, wisdom

father something on someone

Fig. to regard someone as the author or originator of something. Do not attempt to father that stupid idea on me! We fathered the whole plan on the president. And we learned later she had nothing to do with it.

It is a wise child that knows its own father.

Prov. You can never have certain proof that a certain man is your father. (Implies that the child in question might be illegitimate.) It is a wise child that knows its own father, but Emily is so much like her dad that there's very little uncertainty.

See also: child, know, wise

like father, like son

Prov. Fathers and sons resemble each other, and sons tend to do what their fathers did before them. Jill: George's father smoked all the time, and now George is smoking excessively, too. Jane: Like father, like son, eh? I think my son will grow up tall, just like his father. Like father, like son.

See also: like, son

old enough to be someone's mother and old enough to be someone's father

as old as someone's parents. (Usually a way of saying that a person is too old.) You can't go out with Bill. He's old enough to be your father! He married a woman who is old enough to be his mother.

See also: enough, mother, old

The wish is father to the thought.

Prov. People sometimes come to believe something that they wish were true. Jane hoped that her boss would resign, and the wish was father to the thought. Soon she had told everyone in the office that she was sure her boss was leaving.

See also: thought, wish

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a bit of how's your father  (British & Australian humorous)

sexual activity Apparently he came home and discovered them having a bit of how's your father in the kitchen.

See also: bit

when somebody was a (mere) twinkle in their father's eye  (humorous)

at a time before someone was born All this happened a very long time ago, when you were a mere twinkle in your father's eye.

See also: eye, twinkle, was