- English translation
He plays lame on the street where everyone is lame.
- Literal wording
He limps in the lane of the lame.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying mocks someone who puts on a show of weakness to draw sympathy or aid, but does it in front of people who share the same disability or hardship. The words say only that he limps; the sense of faking comes from how the saying is applied.
More broadly, it marks a misjudged appeal. Pretending to suffer means little to people who already suffer, and asking the powerless for rescue shows a failure to read one's surroundings. The tone is wry and somewhat scornful toward the pretender, not toward the disabled.
- When it is used
Use it about someone who acts needy or helpless to win help from people whose situation is just as bad or worse. The image uses disability as a figure for helplessness, so present it with care.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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