Grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

Photo of author

Grammarist

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is a proverb with ancient roots. We will examine the meaning of the proverb the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, where the expression came from, and some examples of its use in sentences.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence means that others’ situations always look better than one’s own, but in reality, they probably are not. For instance, you may believe that working for a certain company will be more pleasant than working for your current company; in reality, you will probably find out that all companies have the same sorts of problems. The expression the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence came into use in the early 1900s; however, the sentiment is an old one. The Roman poet, Ovid, wrote: “…the harvest is always more fruitful in another man’s field.” The proverb the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is often shortened to simply: the grass is always greener or the grass is greener.

Examples

But that was an errant cow, a misled cow, a curious cow that had been told “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” and wanted to find out for herself. (Wellington Town-Crier)

You know what they say, the grass is always greener, on the other side. (Glamour Magazine)

Baby’s toy preference proves that grass is always greener on the other side (Hindustan Times)