Explore Arabic traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-31
Meaning: Verified- English translation
The calf is back inside its mother's belly.
- Literal wording
The calf returned to its mother's belly.
- Meaning and lesson
The image shows a calf that has already been born ending up once more inside the cow that carried it. The scene is impossible on purpose, a figurative picture of reversal rather than a statement about animals.
The saying is applied to a person who has gone back to what they were before, returning to a former condition or way of being after having seemed to leave it behind.
- When it is used
Say it of someone who has reverted to the state or ways they had earlier, once their apparent move away has come undone. It comments on the return itself, without specifying what the earlier state was.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: The calf is back inside its mother's belly.