the proof is in the pudding

Meanings

1. Alternative form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Etymology

This phrase is a shortened form of the proof of the pudding is in the eating (14th century). The shorter version, which misses the point of the original meaning, is found in an 1867 issue of the British Farmer's Magazine, came into common use in the United States in the 1950s, and is becoming increasingly common.