teach grandma how to suck eggs en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
First attested circa 18th century, from Spanish: see quotation.
Meanings
-
(idiomatic, in the negative) To tell an expert how to do things.
Madam, reply’d Joler, you would have me teach my Grandame to ſuck Eggs, or ſet up for a Lent Preacher.
[1707, Francisco de Quevedo, translated by John Stevens, “The Dog and the Fever: An Unaccountable Novel: or, A Rapsody”, in The Comical Works of Don Francisco de Quevedo, […], London: […] John Morphew […], →OCLC, page 403:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| teaches grandma how to suck eggs | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| teach Grandma how to suck eggs | alternative | lexicographic | |
| taught grandma how to suck eggs | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| taught grandma how to suck eggs | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| teaching grandma how to suck eggs | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| teach grandma to suck eggs | alternative | lexicographic | |
| teach Grandma to suck eggs | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs
Relateds
Translations (16)
ro vinde castraveți grădinarului (teach an expert) · pl uczyć ojca dzieci robić (teach an expert) · fi älä opeta isääsi kusemaan (teach an expert) · ga an t-uan ag múineadh méilí dá mháthair (teach an expert) · fi älä opeta isääsi naimaan (teach an expert) · el έλα παππού μου (teach an expert) · es dar clases a tu maestro (teach an expert) · vi múa rìu qua mắt thợ (teach an expert) · gd ionnsaich do sheanmhair lit' a dhèanamh (teach an expert) · de das Ei will klüger sein als die Henne (teach an expert) · fr apprendre à un vieux singe à faire des grimaces (teach an expert) · ki tiga kuonia ngarĩ kũhaica mũtĩ (teach an expert) · kk дария жанынан құдық қазба (teach an expert) · pt ensinar a missa ao vigário (teach an expert) · tr tereciye tere satmak (teach an expert) · pt ensinar a missa ao padre (teach an expert)