- English translation
I’d marry my paternal cousin, even if all I had for a blanket was my sleeve.
- Literal wording
I’ll take my father’s brother’s son and cover myself with my sleeve.
- Meaning and lesson
The speaker values marriage to a paternal cousin over material comfort. Covering herself with a sleeve pictures how little she would be willing to live with.
The saying presents family ties as a reason to choose a husband despite his poverty. It expresses a preference for a relative over an outsider, not an expectation that the marriage will be easy.
- When it is used
Use it to express or discuss a preference for marrying a paternal cousin when his limited means would otherwise count against the match. The image of the sleeve emphasizes willingness to accept hardship rather than a literal plan for sleeping.
- Register
- Colloquial
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: I’d marry my paternal cousin, even if all I had for a blanket was my sleeve.