- English translation
A man's hard-won bread is eaten only by the woman who has tucked up her skirts for work.
- Literal wording
The man's morsel is softened over the fire; only the woman who has hitched up her garment eats it.
- Meaning and lesson
In its traditional household picture, the husband's bread, softened over the fire, stands for provision won through toil. The saying holds that his wife may share it only when she, garment hitched up for work, performs the domestic service expected of her; this reflects an old gendered outlook, not an endorsed norm.
More broadly, the saying holds that reward must be earned. Whoever wishes to enjoy the fruits of someone's labor, or any recompense at all, should secure it through diligent, capable effort rather than expecting it to arrive unearned.
- When it is used
Said to stress that benefits follow effort, for instance when someone expects to enjoy provisions or rewards without contributing work. Its traditional imagery assumes a husband who provides and a wife who serves, so it fits discussions of earned reward more comfortably than modern domestic advice.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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