
ProverbHuman Nature
Russian origin
Всяк сверчок знай свой шесток (Vsyak sverchok znay svoy shestok)
Meaning: Everyone should know their place and stick to it.
Literally: Every cricket, know your own perch
Example: “Не лезь в дела начальства. Всяк сверчок знай свой шесток.” — Don't meddle in management's affairs: every man to his trade.
Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 4 more languages
English: Every man to his trade.
French: À chacun son métier, et les vaches seront bien gardées (literally: To each his trade, and the cows will be well kept)
Spanish: Zapatero, a tus zapatos (literally: Shoemaker, to your shoes)
Japanese: 餅は餅屋 (Mochi wa mochiya) (literally: For rice cakes, go to the rice-cake maker)
German: Schuster, bleib bei deinem Leisten (literally: Cobbler, stick to your last)
Italian: Ognuno faccia il suo mestiere (literally: Let everyone do their own trade)
Portuguese: Cada macaco no seu galho (literally: Every monkey on its own branch)
Dutch: Schoenmaker, blijf bij je leest (literally: Cobbler, stick to your last)
Polish: Pilnuj, szewcze, kopyta (literally: Mind your last, cobbler)
Origin: A шесток is the ledge in front of a Russian stove, where crickets liked to sit in the warmth: each cricket has its own perch.
Explore another collection: Idioms
Colorful expressions from dozens of languages, with their word-for-word translations.
- Чья бы корова мычала, а твоя бы молчала (Ch'ya by korova mychala, a tvoya by molchala) You're in no position to criticize; you have the same fault, or a worse one.
- Игра не стоит свеч (Igra ne stoit svech) The effort or money spent won't be repaid by the result.
- Не вешай лапшу на уши (Ne veshay lapshu na ushi) Don't lie to me; stop trying to deceive me.
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