
ProverbHuman Nature
Portuguese origin
Cada macaco no seu galho
Meaning: Everyone should stick to their own place and business.
Literally: Every monkey on its own branch
Example: “Tu tratas da cozinha e eu do jardim. Cada macaco no seu galho.” — You handle the kitchen and I'll handle the garden: every man to his trade.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 4 more languages
English: Every man to his trade.
French: À chacun son métier, et les vaches seront bien gardées (literally: To each his trade, and the cows will be well kept)
Spanish: Zapatero, a tus zapatos (literally: Shoemaker, to your shoes)
Japanese: 餅は餅屋 (Mochi wa mochiya) (literally: For rice cakes, go to the rice-cake maker)
German: Schuster, bleib bei deinem Leisten (literally: Cobbler, stick to your last)
Italian: Ognuno faccia il suo mestiere (literally: Let everyone do their own trade)
Dutch: Schoenmaker, blijf bij je leest (literally: Cobbler, stick to your last)
Russian: Всяк сверчок знай свой шесток (Vsyak sverchok znay svoy shestok) (literally: Every cricket, know your own perch)
Polish: Pilnuj, szewcze, kopyta (literally: Mind your last, cobbler)
Origin: Monkeys in a tree each keep to their own branch; trouble starts when one jumps onto another's.
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