- English translation
Give the herding cry once, and the whole herd moves.
- Literal wording
Whoever says “huh” drives all the calves.
- Meaning and lesson
The picture is of a drover whose single cry, “huh,” sets a herd in motion. The sound does not need to be repeated animal by animal; uttered once, it reaches every calf, so whoever makes it has already done all that driving the herd requires.
More broadly, the proverb observes that some tasks do not grow with the size of what they cover. When one act or utterance works on everything at once, extra heads add no extra labour, and the person acting owes nothing beyond that single act.
- When it is used
Suitable for reassuring someone who faces many cases, people, or items that can all be settled by the same single step. It recasts the job as a herding cry: given once, it covers everyone, so the count itself adds no extra work.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Give the herding cry once, and the whole herd moves.