ProverbWisdomSpanish origin

No se puede estar en misa y repicando

Meaning: You can't do two incompatible things at once.

Literally: You can't be at mass and ringing the bells

Example: “O te quedas a la reunión o te vas al partido; no se puede estar en misa y repicando.” — Either you stay for the meeting or go to the game: you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Equivalents in English, French, Japanese, German, Italian, and 2 more languages

  • English: You can't have your cake and eat it too
  • French: On ne peut avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre (literally: You can't have the butter and the money for the butter)
  • Japanese: 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず (Nito o ou mono wa itto o mo ezu) (literally: He who chases two rabbits catches neither)
  • German: Man kann nicht auf zwei Hochzeiten tanzen (literally: You can't dance at two weddings)
  • Italian: Volere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca (literally: To want the barrel full and the wife drunk)
  • Portuguese: Sol na eira e chuva no nabal (literally: Sun on the threshing floor and rain on the turnip field)
  • Chinese: 鱼与熊掌不可兼得 (Yú yǔ xióngzhǎng bù kě jiān dé) (literally: You can't have both the fish and the bear's paw)

Origin: The sacristan who rings the church bells cannot also be inside hearing mass.

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  • Largo Actually means 'long'. For large, say grande.

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