Why do we say "No news is good news"?

Well-Known Expressions

No news is good news

Meaning:

If you don't hear from a person, it's likely that things are all right

Background:

The first recorded use of this exact expression in English is by James Howell in 1640, who wrote, "I am of the Italians' mind that said, 'Nulla nuova, buona nuova' (no news, good news). Some years before that, James 1 of England (VI of Scotland) wrote, "No News is better than evil news".

Alphabetical list of expressions

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