# trust everybody, but cut the cards

> English word · Proverb

## Definitions
1. One should have general faith in the good intentions of others, but one should never neglect to take appropriate precautions against being deceived or cheated.

## Etymology
Reportedly coined by Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) and expressed in dialect by his character "Mr. Dooley" in Mr. Dooley's Philosophy (1900), p. 260: "Thrust ivrybody—but cut th' ca-ards."

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/trust-everybody-but-cut-the-cards