ProverbHub
Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«اِلْعِيشْ إِنِ اتْفَتِّشْ مَا يِتَّاكِلْشْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

Pick at your bread too closely and you'll never eat it.

Literal wording

Bread, if it gets searched through, does not get eaten.

Meaning and lesson

Almost anything, picked apart closely enough, will reveal some small blemish that spoils one's appetite for it. Here ʿēsh means bread, not 'life' as elsewhere: a loaf probed crumb by crumb may show a speck that makes it seem inedible, though it would have nourished you.

Applied to daily life, the proverb warns that relentless fault-finding paralyzes action. It targets excessive scrutiny, not all checking, and does not praise carelessness. Matters proceed only when people tolerate reasonable imperfection; examining every detail leaves plans, purchases, and dealings permanently stuck.

When it is used

Say it when someone keeps probing, nitpicking, or demanding perfection until a task, deal, or relationship stalls. It urges accepting minor flaws so things can move forward, not abandoning sensible checks; it suits informal conversation better than formal argument.

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