This site uses cookies.
Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site,
while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.
For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
English translation: The cobbler's children have no shoes
GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:
сапожник без сапог
English translation:
The cobbler's children have no shoes
04:07 Aug 31, 2009
The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2009-09-03 23:54:06 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Russian to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Idioms / Maxims / Sayings / cobbler\'s wife is the worst shod
Russian term or phrase:сапожник без сапог
Dear all - I have translated a very common Russian saying "сапожник без сапог" as "cobbler's wife is the worst shod". (this has to be a title of a marketing newsletter)
The question is, how _frequent_ is this phrase in use among the native speakers? Will it be understood, similar to Russian, on an _idiomatic_ level? And, to your opinion, how commonly will it be understood by Europeans with English as second language (e.g. the Dutch, Sweedish, French speakers?)
I am asking this, because in my 11 years in New Zealand I have not heard it even once! Can't beleive this saying is not very common...
Explanation: That's how I know the expression in English.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 hrs (2009-08-31 09:59:29 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
P.S. - I'm a native speaker of AE, baby-boomer generation. Cobbler was a normal word in my vocabulary, both because we used to have them (actually, they're making a comeback now), and from stories - in which connection I associated cobbers with England, and Europe, in an older time, probably because of things like this:
"My name was Tommy Stubbins, son of Jacob Stubbins, the cobbler of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh; and I was nine years old..." (Opening of Dr. Doolittle, by Hugh Lofting)
I trust that somewhere and somehow You have all heard of Hagenau, A quiet, quaint and ancient town, Among the green Alsation hills... (The Cobbler of Hagenau - Longfellow)
Younger American readers might not immediately recognize "cobbler," but that's OK. It's good for them.
Thank you dear all for your interest to my question, and for the discussion. Well, I studied my English "back in the USSR", and we learnt "cobbler". But, to Judith and Deborah, the New Zealand Gen Y already uses "shoemaker". Great thanks for the links!
I'm not saying that's what this discussion is, but "a load of cobblers" is used in English to describe something which is total nonsense or totally untrue. I think "cobblers" in this sense is a euphemism for "balls" in the male genital sense.
I asked my 19 year old son earlier what the word "cobbler" meant to him. His response: "a guy who makes shoes—unless, of course, you're referring to some kind of pastry"
Isn't that interesting? Even now when shoe repair is making a comeback, people (at least where I live in the Great Lakes region of the US) are more apt to say shoe repairman than cobbler.
Found this blog - it addresses your question. Perhaps I was wrong earlier and was thinking of another proverb. By the way, sorry for misspellings earlier - was posting from an iPhone. http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=227676
There is an expression out there that hasnothing to do with cobbler or the shoes yet means the same. Just give me a few mind, I will come back with it!
It means something quite different. Too many people involved in making anything, including making a decision, will achieve a worse result than fewer people would do. Incidentally, there is another saying, "Many hands make light work", which means the opposite!
and I'm surprised Jack doesn't! It's not common though, and "shoemaker" might be better for European readers.
palilula (X)
United States
I Input Some Analog Proverbs (UK and USA)
08:03 Aug 31, 2009
Sorry, I got "carried away", as the commercial says, however, it is better to list them separately.<br>There are more proverbs in other countries (Poland and Bulgaria).
I would have understood "cobbler" better. Two countries divided by a common language... I have never heard this saying, but they do say you should always choose the barber with the worst haircut, as he will be the guy who cuts the hair of all the others.
http://blog.blogcosm.com/ Just a few variations of the proverb in this blog. I think it will be understood by non-native speakers, especially if you replace "cobbler" with "shoemaker"
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
30 mins confidence:
The blacksmith's horse and the cobbler's wife are always the last to have shoes. ...
Explanation: My favorite version of the proverb.
Velociraptor United States Does not meet criteria Native speaker of: Russian
Alexander Ryshow Belarus Local time: 18:23 Does not meet criteria Works in field Native speaker of: Russian PRO pts in category: 8
2 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
Shoemaker without shoes
Explanation: Simple solution and quite a number of good Google matches.
Alexander Kondorsky Russian Federation Local time: 18:23 Does not meet criteria Native speaker of: Russian PRO pts in category: 4
3 hrs confidence:
The Shoe-maker's wife often goes in ragged shoes.
Explanation: A skilled or knowledgeable person commonly neglects to give his own family the benefit of his expertise. Found in a number of variants.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2009-08-31 08:43:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
To answer Asker's question: I am sure in Slavic-speaking countries in Europe the proverb is well known (in different forms related to shoemaker and shoes), however, I am afraid, I do not know about the Scandinavian, North-European, and French-speaking peoples.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2009-08-31 08:44:02 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
To answer Asker's question: I am sure in Slavic-speaking countries in Europe the proverb is well known (in different forms related to shoemaker and shoes), however, I am afraid, I do not know about the Scandinavian, North-European, and French-speaking peoples.
palilula (X) United States Local time: 08:23 Meets criteria Specializes in field Native speaker of: Bulgarian, English
Shoemaker's son is always the one who goes barefoot!
Explanation: A skilled or knowledgeable person commonly neglects to give his own family the benefit of his expertise. Found in a number of variants.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2009-08-31 08:44:49 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
To answer Asker's question: I am sure in Slavic-speaking countries in Europe the proverb is well known (in different forms related to shoemaker and shoes), however, I do not know about the Scandinavian, North-European, and French-speaking peoples.
palilula (X) United States Local time: 08:23 Meets criteria Specializes in field Native speaker of: Bulgarian, English
They say the cobbler's children go the worst shod.
Explanation: A skilled or knowledgeable person commonly neglects to give his own family [or himself] the benefit of his expertise. Found in a number of variants.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2009-08-31 08:45:36 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
To answer Asker's question: I am sure in Slavic-speaking countries in Europe the proverb is well known (in different forms related to shoemaker and shoes), however, I do not know about the Scandinavian, North-European, and French-speaking peoples.
palilula (X) United States Local time: 08:23 Meets criteria Specializes in field Native speaker of: Bulgarian, English
Explanation: A skilled or knowledgeable person commonly neglects to give his own family [and himself] the benefit of his expertise. Found in a number of variants.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2009-08-31 08:47:35 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
To answer Asker's question: I am sure in Slavic-speaking countries in Europe the proverb is well known (in different forms related to shoemaker and shoes), however, I am afraid, I do not know about the Scandinavian, North-European, and French-speaking peoples.
palilula (X) United States Local time: 08:23 Meets criteria Specializes in field Native speaker of: Bulgarian, English
Explanation: That's how I know the expression in English.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 5 hrs (2009-08-31 09:59:29 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
P.S. - I'm a native speaker of AE, baby-boomer generation. Cobbler was a normal word in my vocabulary, both because we used to have them (actually, they're making a comeback now), and from stories - in which connection I associated cobbers with England, and Europe, in an older time, probably because of things like this:
"My name was Tommy Stubbins, son of Jacob Stubbins, the cobbler of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh; and I was nine years old..." (Opening of Dr. Doolittle, by Hugh Lofting)
I trust that somewhere and somehow You have all heard of Hagenau, A quiet, quaint and ancient town, Among the green Alsation hills... (The Cobbler of Hagenau - Longfellow)
Younger American readers might not immediately recognize "cobbler," but that's OK. It's good for them.
Rachel Douglas United States Local time: 11:23 Meets criteria Works in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 84
Grading comment
Dear Rachel - thank you! And also thanks for a wonderful quote from Lonfellow!
