

Snellen helped to develop standardized measurements in vision testing.

Many people are familiar with the Snellen chart, as it is the basis of the current examination that an eye doctor or ophthalmologist administers in order to assess the ability of the patient to see. The term came into use with the introduction of the Snellen eye chart, which measures visual acuity. 20/20 is a term used in ophthalmology to mean normal vision.

The expression is a combination of the word hindsight, which means understanding the scope of something or the decision one should have made, and the term 20/20. The term 20/20 hindsight is a noun phrase with the same meaning. In addition to learning vocabulary and grammar, one must understand the figurative meaning of a proverb in order to know English like a native speaker. Many English as a Second Language students do not understand proverbs, as they attempt to translate them word for word, which yields only the literal meaning. Sometimes, only the beginning of a proverb is quoted, the speaker assuming that the listener can supply the rest of the quote for himself. Common proverbs are phrases used in the English language in order to convey a concise idea, and are often spoken or are considered informal or conversational. Hindsight is 20/20 is a proverb, which is a short, common saying or phrase that particularly gives advice or shares a universal truth. It is easy to see what someone should have done, after the situation is already finished. The expression hindsight is 20/20 is usually said in answer to an admonishment that the person should have known something would happen, or that the person made a bad decision. Hindsight is 20/20 is a proverb that means it is easy to understand something after it has already happened.
