- English translation
He never caught them stealing, so he claims he caught them squaring up the take.
- Literal wording
He didn't see them while they were stealing; he saw them while they were settling accounts.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying portrays an accuser who has no grounds to say he caught anyone in the act. Unable to make that claim stick, he invents a different sighting: he says he watched them settling accounts among themselves, hinting at stolen proceeds without claiming to have witnessed any theft.
It is aimed at people bent on framing others, who keep rearranging their testimony until it supports a conclusion already chosen. The point is that the charge comes first and the supposed evidence is manufactured afterward to fit it.
- When it is used
Use it to expose someone determined to pin blame on others, especially when their story shifts to whatever suggestive sighting they can claim. It mocks contrived or circumstantial accusations rather than describing genuine wrongdoing.
- Register
- Colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: He never caught them stealing, so he claims he caught them squaring up the take.