- English translation
A capable woman takes care of her own business; an inept one shouts for the neighbor.
- Literal wording
The clever woman gets her need done, and the hopeless woman calls out to her neighbor.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying sets a resourceful, handy woman against a clumsy, helpless one. The first takes care of whatever needs doing with her own hands and skill, while the second cannot manage alone and has to call out to the woman next door for guidance and a helping hand.
More broadly, it praises competence and self-reliance and gently mocks dependence. Finishing your own work without summoning others marks a capable person, while leaning on others for ordinary chores suggests a lack of skill. Its framing around women reflects the saying's origin, not a judgment of women; the lesson applies to anyone.
- When it is used
Say it when someone keeps calling for help with tasks they could handle, or to praise a person who quietly sorts things out alone. It works as a gentle tease among family or friends, but aimed at one specific person it becomes a sharp rebuke.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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