Join In
Twitter
YouTube
Weekly Newsletter
Libraries
A-Z Grammatical Terms
A-Z Confused Words
A-Z Awkward Plurals
Punctuation Lessons
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
Cry over Spilt Milk (Origin)
What Is the Origin of the Saying "Cry over Spilt Milk"?
The term "cry over spilt milk" means to be upset over something that cannot be fixed, often something minor.
This saying originates from Welsh historian and author James Howell's "Paramoigraphy (Proverbs)," which was published in 1659. It features the following advice:
- "No weeping for shed milk."
Spilled Milk or Spilt Milk
Grammatically speaking, the word "spilled" or "spilt" is a past participle being used as an adjective. In the UK, the words "spilled" and "spilt" are interchangeable, but not in the US. If you're following US writing conventions, use "spilled." Read more about spilled and spilt.Previous and Next Sayings
Test Your Knowledge of English Proverbs and Idioms
Ready for the Test?
More Proverbs, Sayings, and Idioms
Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Find Us Quicker!
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.
Next lesson >