I can see as far into a millstone as the picker.
Meaning: A millstone's opaque interior conceals truth equally from all observers, regardless of their station or expertise.
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.
More proverbs about Challenge
- The lower millstone grinds as well as the upper. — Humble, ordinary work produces results as valuable as prestigious labor.
- If the mountain will not go to Mahomet, let Mahomet go to the mountain. — When obstacles won't move, adapt your approach rather than exhaust yourself demanding cha…
- When thy neighbour's house is on fire, be careful of thine own. — Self-preservation requires vigilance when crisis spreads nearby; danger threatening other…
- By doing nothing we learn to do ill. — Idleness creates habits of laziness that make wrongdoing easier than virtuous effort.
- It is more painful to do nothing than something. — Inaction breeds regret and anxiety; taking action—even imperfect action—relieves the torm…
- When old age is evil, youth can learn no good. — A corrupt elder corrupts the next generation; moral decay flows downward through families…
From our untranslatable words
- Waldeinsamkeit — The serene, faintly mystical feeling of being alone in the woods, at peace with nature.
- Meriggiare — To take a quiet midday rest in a cool, shaded spot, escaping the fierce afternoon sun.
- Backpfeifengesicht — A face that is just begging to be slapped — someone so smug you can't help the urge.