source

a stream cannot rise above its source

proverb People can only do and create that which is within their abilities. Why is that unjust group of men allowed to make the laws in this town? If we know that a stream cannot rise above its source, what kinds of laws do we think they will create? That guy's always been a hack, so I'm not surprised his latest book is terrible. A stream cannot rise above its source, after all. It's not like he asked the country's brightest minds to come up with the economic plan, so of course it's lackluster—a stream cannot rise above its source.
See also: above, cannot, rise, source, stream

a stream never rises higher than its source

proverb People can only do and create that which is within their abilities. Why is that unjust group of men allowed to make the laws in this town? If we know that a stream never rises higher than its source, what kinds of laws do we think they will create? That guy's always been a hack, so I'm not surprised his latest book is terrible. A stream never rises higher than its source, after all. It's not like he asked the country's brightest minds to come up with the economic plan, so of course it's lackluster—a stream never rises higher than its source.
See also: higher, never, rise, source, stream

at source

1. Where something originates. Our hope is that cleaning up the river at source will have a restorative effect on the local ecosystem. Do you think that reducing air pollution at source will have a big impact on the air quality in our area? We've got to address this issue at source before it affects the water supply at large.
2. Before a payment is made to one, as of a tax deduction. If the government didn't takes people's taxes out of their paychecks at source, it might never see that money again. You know, you can set up an automatic deduction at source if you want to ensure you are regularly contributing to your retirement fund. Why don't you just let the government take their money from you at source? You never have enough money to pay them back come tax time!
See also: source

crowdsource

To generate or acquire something, such as information, content, or an answer to a question, by soliciting it from a large network of people, often via social media. The phrase is a combination of the words "crowd" and "outsource," meaning to transfer or delegate a task to someone else. You can find the answer to just about any technical question by crowdsourcing it online. We crowdsourced our logo—an artist from Chicago submitted the design we liked the best. Sure, you can crowdsource health questions, but why not just call your doctor and get reliable, accurate answers?

crowdsourcing

The act of generating or acquiring something, such as information, content, or an answer to a question, by soliciting it from a large network of people, often via social media. The phrase is a combination of the words "crowd" and "outsource," meaning to transfer or delegate a task to someone else. You can find the answer to just about any technical question through online crowdsourcing. We got our logo via crowdsourcing. An artist from Chicago submitted the design we liked the best. Crowdsourcing health questions always strikes me as a bad idea. Why not just call your doctor and get reliable, accurate answers?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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