I have it on good authority 👤🖐️📜👍👨‍⚖️

Meaning

This phrase indicates that the information being shared comes from a highly reliable and trustworthy source.

Origin

The very notion of "authority" stretches back to the Latin auctoritas, encompassing ideas of influence, command, and reliable advice. When it first entered English in the 14th century, it carried the weight of legal power and moral right. But by the 17th century, its meaning broadened: an "authority" also became a person whose word you could trust, a reliable font of knowledge. So, when someone declares "I have it on good authority," they're not just saying they heard a rumor; they're invoking a long-standing tradition of valuing information that comes from a source whose standing, expertise, or position lends indisputable credibility. It's an assertion that the news isn't just true, but comes from someone who knows.

I have it on good authority represented with emoji👤🖐️📜👍👨‍⚖️

This playful arrangement teaches the viewer to consider how a single human figure, a hand, a scroll, a thumb's up, and a judge might playfully construct the notion of 'having it on good authority.' It invites a dialogue on the symbols we use to convey trust and the inherent assumptions behind them.

Examples

• I have it on good authority that the new restaurant will be opening next month, so we should make reservations soon.
• You can believe the news; I have it on good authority that the company is indeed planning a major expansion.