- English translation
They're like little spiny fish, each one carrying its own spine and minding only itself.
- Literal wording
Like the zaqaziq fish: every one of them has its spine on its own back.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes a group with no common purpose: each person looks after their own affairs, holds to their own views, and follows personal inclinations without regard for the others around them.
The small spiny fish offers the picture: each one carries its own spine on its own back, a sign of separate defenses and concerns, not cruelty toward others. The members sit side by side yet remain apart; togetherness is only apparent, never true cooperation.
- When it is used
Apply it to a family, team, or committee whose members ignore one another and pursue separate agendas, especially when shared effort is needed and nobody will yield or coordinate.
- Register
- colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: They're like little spiny fish, each one carrying its own spine and minding only itself.