ProverbWisdomInternational origin

The moon is not shamed by the barking of dogs

Meaning: Those with true integrity remain unaffected by baseless criticism or petty noise.

Origin: Credited to many cultures — Arabic, Native American, Czech and others — which usually means no single source can be found. A dog barking at a moon that ignores it is a common way of saying that critics cannot touch what is far above them.

Equivalents in German

  • German: Die Hunde bellen, die Karawane zieht weiter (literally: The dogs bark, the caravan moves on)

Explore another collection: False Friends

Words that look familiar in another language but mean something else entirely.

  • Sensible Actually means 'sensitive'. For sensible/level-headed, say raisonnable.
  • Librairie Actually means 'bookshop'. A library is une bibliothèque.
  • Constipado Actually means 'having a head cold'. Estoy constipado = I have a cold.

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