A bird in the hand ....

is worth 2 in the bush.

This proverb refers back to medieval falconry where a bird in the hand (the falcon) was a valuable asset and certainly worth more than two such birds in the bush.

My simple interpretation is be thankful for and appreciate what you have and stop hankering after more. The secret to true happiness I suspect.

OK, a bit of poetic licence with my choice of bird for which I apologise, but I'm not sure a falcon sitting in my hand would have been as interesting (to my eyes at least).

This slang for the fairer sex is a throwback to the 70s and is one of several expressions from that era that I hated then and still hate today. The other no no for me is calling your dad the 'old man'. Aghhhh!

Mind you, if I think calling a girl/woman a bird is bad, you only have to watch MTV to know that the modern day alternatives are several times worse.