A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

with the founding and founded content of the pre-Gestalt Gestalters. 1980 J. KRANTZ

Princess Daisy xvii. What’s this? Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations.

family; poverty

If the SHOE fits, wear it

A predominantly US variant of if the CAP fits, wear it.

1773 New-York Gazette & Weekly Mercury 17 May Why should Mr. Vanderbeek

apply a general comparison to himself? Let those whom the shoe fits wear it. 1876 W. G.

NASH Century of Gossip 125 If the shoe fits you, you can wear it a little wile [sic], Jack;

but we won’t quarrel about that. 1934 J. GREGORY Emerald Murder Trap 260 Some one,

devilishly inspired, had made a noose in the end and the knot was what is so widely

known as a Hangman’s knot. .. ‘There’s an old saying, you know; if the shoe fits, wear it.

The words might be made to apply to knots, I suppose!’ 2001 Washington Post 13 Dec.

C11 (Baby Blues comic strip) ‘Zee, you’re a know-it-all-crybaby-tattletale brat!’ ‘I’m

telling Mommy that you said that!’.. ‘What did Mommy say?’ ‘She said, “If the shoe fits,

wear it!”’ conduct; reputation

shoe see also it’s ILL waiting for dead men’s shoes; for WANT of a nail the shoe was lost.

The SHOEMAKER’s son always goes barefoot

A skilled or knowledgeable person commonly neglects to give his own family the benefit
of his expertise. Found in a number of variants.

1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs I. xi. E1V But who is wurs shod, than the

shoemakers wyfe, With shops full of newe shapen shoes all hir lyfe? 1773 R. GRAVES

Spiritual Quixote I. III. ii. The Shoe-maker’s wife often goes in ragged shoes. .. Although

there had been a [Methodist] Society begun here by Mr. Whitfield, yet.. the people of

Gloucester are not much the better for having had so great a Prophet born amongst them.

1876 S. SMILES Life of Scotch Naturalist xvii. His large family.. were all.. well shod,

notwithstanding the Scottish proverb to the contrary. ‘The Smith’s meer [mare] and the

shoemaker’s bairns are aye the worst shod.’ 1981 ‘E. PETERS’ Saint Peter’s Fair 30

Spruce in his dress, but down at heel, Cadfael noticed—proof of the old saying that the

shoemaker’s son is always the one who goes barefoot! 1987 S. STEWART Lifting the

Latch 58 They say the cobbler’s children go the worst shod. Dad made sure we children

went dry-shod by giving us a penny-a-week for the Boot-fund. 2001 Spectator 4 Aug. 28

The cobbler’s children go barefoot, and Pearson, which publishes the Financial Times,