- English translation
Your neighbor has you in view coming and going: if not your face, then the back of your head.
- Literal wording
Your neighbor is in front of you and behind you; if he does not see your face, he sees the nape of your neck.
- Meaning and lesson
A neighbor will see you one way or another. As you approach his door he meets you face to face, and once you have walked past he watches you from behind, so no coming or going entirely escapes his notice.
Living beside someone cannot be avoided, and neither can being observed by them. Whatever a person does, the people next door end up aware of their movements and the general state of their affairs.
- When it is used
Used to remark that a neighbor inevitably comes to know one's circumstances, or to remind someone that what happens in their household will not stay hidden from the people living beside them, so concealment from neighbors is futile.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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