ProverbWisdom
German origin
German originSchuster, bleib bei deinem Leisten
Meaning: Stick to what you know and don't judge things outside your expertise.
Literally: Cobbler, stick to your last
Example: “Der Bankberater will mir Gartentipps geben? Schuster, bleib bei deinem Leisten.” — The bank adviser wants to give me gardening tips? Let the cobbler stick to his last.
Equivalents in English
English: Origin: Pliny the Elder tells how the painter Apelles let a shoemaker correct a sandal in one of his paintings, then told him off when he went on to criticize the leg: ne supra crepidam sutor iudicaret, a cobbler should not judge above the sandal. The last is the foot-shaped block a shoemaker works on.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Die Daumen drücken To wish someone good luck (like crossing fingers).
- Seinen Senf dazugeben To give an unsolicited opinion.
- Klar wie Kloßbrühe Completely obvious.
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