- English translation
She had the cumin stocked before she was even pregnant, and the baby named Ma'mūn before he was born.
- Literal wording
Before she conceived, she got the cumin ready; and before she gave birth, she named him Ma'mūn.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying mocks premature preparation. A woman who stocks cumin before she has even conceived, and settles on her son's name before any birth, has jumped past every uncertain step. The cumin stands for the provisions a pregnant woman is expected to need, which makes stocking it beforehand absurd. The expected result is treated as already secure.
The saying ridicules treating a hoped-for event as if it were already certain. The woman prepares for pregnancy before conceiving and chooses a child's name before giving birth; likewise, a person may spend time, money, or effort arranging details before the essential first step has happened.
- When it is used
Say it lightly, usually teasingly, to someone who is arranging the details of an outcome that has not yet begun. It suits a friend planning a wedding before any proposal, or an entrepreneur spending profits before the first sale.
- Register
- Colloquial proverbial speech
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: She had the cumin stocked before she was even pregnant, and the baby named Ma'mūn before he was born.