Proverb meaning: "Don't carry water carts on both shoulders".

[cherrycola]

Dear all,

I have a selection of proverbs which I need to find the meaning of and I have been researching endlessly but cannot find anything.

Does anybody know the meaning of this proverb?

Thank you.

 

[cherrycola]

Hi all,

If it helps, I have to pick which two proverbs are similar in meaning.

These are the other ones and where I could find the meanings, I have included them as footnotes here:

A: A person without money is a bow without an arrow[H1] . B: Money is a merry fellow. C: Fine words butter no parsnips.[H2] D: Don’t try to carry water carts on both shoulders. E. The hot coal burns; the cold one blackens. [H3]

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[H1]Ability requires opportunity and resources in order to show its worth.


[H2]Nothing is achieved by empty promises or flattery.
[H3]“Extremes of anything can be detrimental;” “There may be bad aspects to things that appear good.”



Thank you.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't. It makes no sense. People don't generally carry carts on their shoulders. It's like saying "Don't put a garage in your pocket."

 

[Mrfatso]

Not A Teacher.

I have not heard of it either, it seems to mean do not take too much of a burden on to your shoulders at any time. However does it mean a literal weight or is it metaphorical weight of worry or stress?

 

[Tdol]

Could it be A & B as they both imply in some way that to is better to have money than not?

 

[emsr2d2]

Is this a test question from a book or did you see that proverb in use somewhere? I've never heard of it.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The word "both" is the problem. It means we should only carry water carts on one shoulder. But that would be dumb.

If the saying were just "Don't carry water carts on your shoulders," that would make sense. Since carts have wheels, it's easier to pull them than carry them.

 

[Raymott]

I doubt whether this is an English proverb. It sounds more like a poor translation of a foreign proverb. Also, I'd doubt whether any of the sentences in #2 are English proverbs. I haven't heard heard any of them.

"A proverb (from Latin: proverbium) is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proverb

 

[Mrfatso]

Not A Teacher

I have heard "Fine words butter no parsnips" in BrE, meaning flattery will get you nowhere.

 

[Raymott]

Maybe it's a tad out of date, as some of the others might be.

"You aren't very likely to come across 'fine words butter no parsnips' as 20th century street slang - you are more liable to hear it in a period costume drama."
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/fine-words-butter-no-parsnips.html

 

[Tdol]

Not A Teacher

I have heard "Fine words butter no parsnips" in BrE, meaning flattery will get you nowhere.

I have, but the others are all new to me. Raymott's idea that they could be translations is appealing.

 

[Skrej]

I'll vote for the 'lost in translation' theory as well, but I could see how it would still work as written in English, as some kind of metaphor for doing something the hard/wrong way. Why carry water carts on your shoulders at all, when you should be pulling them with a horse or vehicle? Thus it's doubly inefficient to carry them on both shoulders.

But that may just be putting lipstick on a pig...

 

[Mrfatso]

Maybe it's a tad out of date, as some of the others might be.

"You aren't very likely to come across 'fine words butter no parsnips' as 20th century street slang - you are more liable to hear it in a period costume drama."
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/fine-words-butter-no-parsnips.html

Not A Teacher

I think I heard it in my Grandmothers kitchen as a boy, she was an old country woman.

 

[emsr2d2]

Not A Teacher

I think I heard it in my grandmother's kitchen as a boy. She was an old country woman.

As a native English speaker, please ensure you use correct capitalisation and punctuation on the forum. Thanks.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Not A Teacher

I have heard "Fine words butter no parsnips" in BrE, meaning flattery will get you nowhere.

Actually, I understand it to mean that actions speak louder than words.* The same as: Sorry never fed the admiral's cat.

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*Even though the pen is mightier than the sword. Hm.