- English translation
He can't tell the rudder from the bow-post.
- Literal wording
He does not know the rudder from the shabura (the timber on which the ship's bow rests).
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes someone so ignorant that they cannot distinguish the two ends of a ship: the rudder that steers at the stern and the timber that supports the bow. By picking parts at opposite extremes, it stresses a lack of even the most basic orientation.
In wider use it labels anyone, whatever their gender, who cannot separate one thing from its plain opposite, such as front from back. The judgment is blunt: the person is lost on the fundamentals.
- When it is used
Use it to mock or criticize someone who is utterly clueless about a matter, especially someone who claims competence yet cannot grasp its most elementary distinctions. It is pointed and dismissive, so it suits candid talk about a person rather than polite address to them.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: He can't tell the rudder from the bow-post.