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where did the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words originate
Henrik Ibsen first said A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed. After his death in 1906 this quote was plagiarized and para-phrased.
what is the meaning of the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words
A picture is worth a thousand words is an English language adage meaning that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image.

Question: how was the phrase used early on
Self-contained rewrite: how was the phrase a picture is worth a thousand words used early on