ProverbHuman Nature
Greek origin
Greek originOnly the wearer knows where the shoe pinches
Meaning: Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.
Origin: Plutarch tells of a Roman who divorced his wife, to the astonishment of his friends, who asked what fault she had. He held out his shoe: it looked handsome and new, but none of them could tell where it pinched him. In Chaucer's The Merchant's Tale, a husband says the same thing in English: "I know best where my shoe wrings me."
Equivalents in Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Dutch
Spanish: Cada uno sabe dónde le aprieta el zapato (literally: Everyone knows where the shoe pinches them)
German: Jeder weiß am besten, wo ihn der Schuh drückt (literally: Everyone knows best where the shoe pinches him)
Portuguese: Cada qual sabe onde lhe aperta o sapato (literally: Each one knows where his shoe pinches)
Dutch: Ieder weet het best, waar hem de schoen wringt (literally: Everyone knows best where the shoe pinches him)
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Sopra la panca la capra campa, sotto la panca la capra crepa. A beloved 'c' / 'p' rhythm trap.
- Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches? A merciless duel between 'ch' and 's'.
- El cielo está enladrillado, ¿quién lo desenladrillará? A brutal test of the rolled 'r' and 'l'.
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