Dictionary

a bad workman always blames his tools en · X

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

1. It is not the tools we use that make us good, but rather how we employ them.
   • An ill labourer quarrels with his tools. 1881, John Wurtle Lovell, “Jacula Prudentum”, in The Works of George Herbert in Prose and Verse, New York, page 454
   • Never had ill workman good tools. 1881, John Wurtle Lovell, “Jacula Prudentum”, in The Works of George Herbert in Prose and Verse, New York, page 440
2. Upon failure, it is easier to blame the tools used rather than how they were employed.

Forms

Translations (37)

ms tak tahu menganyam pandan disalahkan (not the tools but how they're employed) · fi kyllä sika syitä löytää, välillä on maa jäässä, välillä kärsä kipeä (not the tools but how they're employed) · ms تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رنده (not the tools but how they're employed) · yue 賴地硬 /赖地硬 (not the tools but how they're employed) · ms tak tahu menari dikatakan tanah tinggi rendah (not the tools but how they're employed) · ja 弘法筆を選ばず (not the tools but how they're employed) · hak 唔識字怨爺娘，唔會賺錢怨屋場 /唔识字怨爷娘 (not the tools but how they're employed) · gd cha d'fhuair droch-ràmhaich ràmh math a-riamh (not the tools but how they're employed) · fr à méchant ouvrier, point de bon outil (not the tools but how they're employed) · fr un mauvais ouvrier a toujours de mauvais outils (not the tools but how they're employed) · de wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, hat das Pferd Schuld (not the tools but how they're employed) · gd cha d'fhuair droch-bhuannaiche a-riamh deagh-chorran (not the tools but how they're employed) · yue 屙屎唔出賴地硬 /屙屎唔出赖地硬 (not the tools but how they're employed) · ne नाच्न नजान्ने आँगन टेडो (not the tools but how they're employed) · nan-hbl 𣍐曉駛船嫌溪狹 /𫧃晓驶船嫌溪狭 (not the tools but how they're employed) · is árinni kennir illur ræðari (not the tools but how they're employed) · vi vụng múa chê đất lệch (not the tools but how they're employed) · ms tak tahu menari dikatakan lantai jongkang-jongket (not the tools but how they're employed) · cmn 尿不準怪馬桶歪 /尿不准怪马桶歪 (not the tools but how they're employed) · nan-hbl 𣍐曉駛船嫌溪彎 /𫧃晓驶船嫌溪弯 (not the tools but how they're employed) · ur ناچ نہ جانے آنگن ٹیڑھا (not the tools but how they're employed) · fa پهلوان که باخت میگه نیرو من تنگ بود (not the tools but how they're employed) · bn নাচতে না জানলে উঠান বাঁকা (not the tools but how they're employed) · bg на калпав майстор инструментът му е крив (not the tools but how they're employed) · de ein schlechter Handwerker schimpft immer auf sein Werkzeug (not the tools but how they're employed) · cmn 拉不出屎來賴茅坑 /拉不出屎来赖茅坑 (not the tools but how they're employed) · nl een kwaad werkman heeft altijd slecht getuig (not the tools but how they're employed) · ga ní thig a sháith de chorrán a thabhairt do dhrochbhuanaí (not the tools but how they're employed) · ms تق تاهو مڠاڽم ڤندن دسالهکن (not the tools but how they're employed) · pl złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy (not the tools but how they're employed) · hi नाच न जाने आँगन टेढ़ा (not the tools but how they're employed) · id buruk muka cermin dibelah (not the tools but how they're employed) · th รำไม่ดีโทษปี่โทษกลอง (not the tools but how they're employed) · ms تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن لنتاي جوڠکڠ-جوڠکيت (not the tools but how they're employed) · ga droch-cheardaí a chuireann an milleán ar a chuid uirlisí (not the tools but how they're employed) · mr नाचता येइना अंगण वाकडे (not the tools but how they're employed) · hak 唔会赚钱怨屋场 (not the tools but how they're employed)