
IdiomNature
Irish
Is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn
Meaning: The grass is always greener elsewhere.
Literally: The hills far away are green
Example: “Ceapann sé go bhfuil saol níos fearr i Meiriceá, ach is glas iad na cnoic i bhfad uainn.” — He thinks life is better in America, but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
English equivalent: The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
Origin: "Far-off hills are green": distant hills always look greener than the ones nearby. The Irish proverb is the counterpart of English "the grass is always greener on the other side." No first use is documented.
Equivalents in other languages
Vietnamese: Đứng núi này trông núi nọ Literally: Standing on this mountain, looking at that mountain
Persian: مرغ همسایه غاز است (morgh-e hamsāye ghāz ast) Literally: The neighbor's chicken is a goose
More Irish idioms
- Tá sé ar muin na muice He's doing wonderfully; living in luck.
- Ní neart go cur le chéile Strength comes from working together.
- Imíonn an tuirse is fanann an tairbhe Hard work's reward outlasts the toil.
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