- English translation
He hadn't even proposed, yet he was gathering wood for the wedding feast and asking where to put the stoves.
- Literal wording
Before he proposed, he stocked up the firewood and said: "Where should I build the cooking hearths?"
- Meaning and lesson
The saying mocks a man who has not even asked for a bride yet already hauls in fuel for the wedding cooking and wonders where to set up the hearths, temporary stoves for the feast. A variant has him bargaining with the fritter-maker over wedding sweets instead; the image of eagerness skipping the essential first step is the same.
More broadly, it criticizes doing something before its proper time. It targets arrangements, purchases, or celebrations made for a result that may never come. The listener is reminded to secure the foundation first, because preparation for an unconfirmed event can prove wasted, foolish, or embarrassing.
- When it is used
Use it, often wryly, when someone arranges details of an outcome that has not yet begun, such as planning a celebration before any agreement exists. It works as gentle ridicule or a warning against getting ahead of events; said to someone's face, it can sound teasing or dismissive.
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- Colloquial proverb
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: He hadn't even proposed, yet he was gathering wood for the wedding feast and asking where to put the stoves.