All the keys hang not at one man's girdle.
Meaning: No single person possesses authority or knowledge over all matters; responsibility and expertise must be distributed.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
Equivalents in French
- French: Toutes les clefs ne pendent pas à une ceinture (literally: All the keys don’t hang at one girdle)
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From our compliments & insults
- Es un/una pesado/a — A dreadful bore — their company feels like carrying extra weight.
- Más terco/a que una mula — Hopelessly obstinate — no argument, fact, or force of nature will shift their position.
- Pareces un pulpo en un garaje — You're completely out of place — flailing around uselessly in an environment that makes n…