ProverbHuman Nature
Russian origin
Russian originНечего на зеркало пенять, коли рожа крива (Nechego na zerkalo penyat', koli rozha kriva)
Meaning: Don't blame others or your tools for faults that are your own.
Literally: Don't blame the mirror if your face is crooked
Example: “Он ругает учебник, хотя сам не открывал его. Нечего на зеркало пенять, коли рожа крива.” — He blames the textbook, though he never opened it: a bad workman always blames his tools.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 3 more languages
English: A bad workman always blames his tools
French: Les mauvais ouvriers ont toujours de mauvais outils (literally: Bad workers always have bad tools)
Spanish: El mal escribano le echa la culpa a la pluma (literally: The bad scribe blames the pen)
Japanese: 弘法筆を選ばず (Kōbō fude wo erabazu) (literally: Kōbō does not choose his brush)
German: Wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, ist das Pferd schuld (literally: When the rider is no good, the horse gets the blame)
Portuguese: O mau artífice culpa a ferramenta (literally: The bad craftsman blames the tool)
Dutch: Een kwaad werkman vindt nooit goed gereedschap (literally: A bad workman never finds good tools)
Polish: Złej baletnicy przeszkadza i rąbek u spódnicy (literally: A bad ballerina is hindered even by the hem of her skirt)
Origin: Nikolai Gogol put it as the epigraph of his comedy The Government Inspector (1836), a warning to audiences who might take offense at the satire.
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Без царя в голове (Bez tsarya v golove) Foolish and reckless — with no one in charge upstairs.
- Ты умница (ty umnitsa) You're bright, clever, and admirable — said warmly of someone who handles things well.
- У тебя золотые руки (u tebya zolotye ruki) You're extraordinarily skilled — able to make or fix anything with your hands.
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