- English translation
When they set about shoeing the Pasha's horses, the owl stuck her foot out toward them.
- Literal wording
They came to shoe the Pasha's horses; Umm Quwayq, the owl, stretched out her leg.
- Meaning and lesson
Grooms are busy fitting iron to the Pasha's fine horses when a small owl offers her own leg, as though the occasion had anything to do with her. The contrast between the grand mounts and the little bird makes her gesture absurd.
Aimed at people, the proverb laughs at a foolish meddler who claims a role in an affair that was never theirs. It targets uninvited intrusion into others' business, not ambition or legitimate participation in general.
- When it is used
Use it to tease or rebuke someone who barges into a matter reserved for others, such as volunteering opinions or demands where nobody asked. Likening someone to the intruding owl is openly mocking and can insult if said to their face, so it suits banter or pointed criticism.
- Register
- Colloquial
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: When they set about shoeing the Pasha's horses, the owl stuck her foot out toward them.