You can't judge a book by its cover. — English proverb · Smartyfair

You can't judge a book by its cover.

English proverb

Source foundWisdom1800sStories

In plain words

You can't know what someone is really like just by how they look.

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Where these words come from

How sure this is: 85% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: American and modern: precursor Boston Daily Advertiser 1821; this form first printed as a Boston Daily Mail headline, 12 June 1849; already called 'an old proverb' by 1854
Occasion: 1849 · United States
Sources checked: phrases.org.ukChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026Traces 1821 precursor and 1849 Boston Daily Mail first exact-form use; classifies it as an American proverb

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