- English translation
He was so unlucky that he married a woman his mother's age.
- Literal wording
Out of his misery, he took one as big as his mother.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying paints a man as so dogged by bad fortune that even his marriage went wrong: the wife he took is as old as his mother. The comparison concerns age, not physical size, and the verb means taking a wife.
In conversation it works as a wry, slightly mocking verdict on a mismatched union. The speaker treats the outcome as one more blow in an unlucky life rather than a free and sensible choice.
- When it is used
Fits teasing or rueful talk about a man whose wife is far older, the match blamed on bad luck. Its humor mocks an older bride, so it can sound ageist or demeaning toward women; use informally, never within earshot of the couple.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: He was so unlucky that he married a woman his mother's age.