Hindiनाच न जाने आंगन टेढ़ा (naach na jaane aangan tedha)
Meaning: A bad workman blames his tools.
Literally: Can't dance, blames the courtyard for being crooked
Example: “हार गया तो बल्ले को दोष दे रहा है; नाच न जाने आंगन टेढ़ा।” — He lost and now blames the bat; a bad workman blames his tools.
English equivalent: A bad workman blames his tools
Origin: No documented first use or historical source survives for this saying, and it reads as a piece of pure, self-contained folk wisdom about a familiar human excuse rather than a phrase tied to any specific event. The literal picture is a dancer who performs poorly and, rather than admitting their own lack of skill, blames the courtyard floor itself for being crooked or uneven — shifting responsibility onto the surroundings instead of onto their own limitations. The logic needs no historical anchor to land, since blaming external circumstances for a personal shortcoming is a universally recognizable human habit, closely paralleling the English "a bad workman blames his tools."
More Hindi idioms
- दाल में कुछ काला है (daal mein kuchh kaalaa hai) Something suspicious is going on.
- नौ दो ग्यारह होना (nau do gyaarah hona) To flee or run away quickly.
- अंगूर खट्टे हैं (Angoor khatte hain) To scorn what you secretly want but cannot have.
- आ बैल मुझे मार (Ā bail mujhe mār) To deliberately invite trouble upon yourself.
- नाक में दम करना (naak mein dam karna) To harass or pester relentlessly.
- नाक रगड़ना (nāk ragaṛnā) To grovel and beg humbly.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Sei un tesoro You're a darling — precious to have around.
- Du bist ein Schatz You're a sweetheart.
- 目に入れても痛くない (Me ni irete mo itakunai) Said of someone you adore completely, often a child or grandchild.
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