- English translation
He releases the one who did the slaughtering and arrests the one who only did the skinning.
- Literal wording
He lets go of the one who slaughtered and takes hold of the one who skinned.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying pictures an animal being butchered. Whoever cuts its throat commits the decisive act, while whoever strips the hide afterward plays a secondary part. Freeing the first and seizing the second marks a judgment that has its priorities reversed, letting the real offender walk away.
It works as a protest against misdirected punishment. The heavier wrongdoer escapes, perhaps through power, connections or simple oversight, while someone with a smaller share of guilt bears the consequences. Its two balanced clauses, each pairing a verb of release or capture with a butchering task, make the contrast between leniency and severity sharp.
- When it is used
Use it to criticize someone in authority, or any judge of a situation, who lets the person most responsible escape and punishes a minor accomplice instead. It suits complaints about unfair discipline, selective accountability, or blame landing on whoever is easiest to reach.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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