ProverbHuman Nature
German origin1859
German origin1859East or west, home is best
Meaning: No matter where you go, home remains the best place.
Origin: The saying came into English from German. Walter Keating Kelly's Proverbs of All Nations (1859) gives it as "East and west, at home the best," and the preacher Charles Spurgeon printed "East and west, home is best" in 1869. However far you travel, home remains the best place to be.
Equivalents in French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, and Polish
French: Il n'y a rien de tel que son chez-soi (literally: There is nothing like home)
German: Ost und West, daheim das Best (literally: East and west, at home is the best)
Italian: Casa mia, casa mia, per piccina che tu sia, tu mi sembri una badia (literally: My home, however small, seems an abbey to me)
Dutch: Oost west, thuis best (literally: East, west, home is best)
Russian: В гостях хорошо, а дома лучше (V gostyakh khorosho, a doma luchshe) (literally: Visiting is nice, but home is better)
Polish: Wszędzie dobrze, ale w domu najlepiej (literally: It's good everywhere, but best at home)
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Avoir un chat dans la gorge Having difficulty speaking due to hoarseness or a sore throat.
- Se battre contre des moulins à vent Fighting a hopeless battle against something immovable or pointless.
- Faire ses choux gras Profiting greatly from a situation at someone else's expense.
Keep exploring