a cipész maradjon a kaptafánál

Hungarian

Alternative forms

  • (a) suszter maradjon a kaptafánál
  • cipész/suszter/varga, maradj a kaptafánál (literally …stay with the last [imperative])
  • varga, ne tovább a kaptafánál (literally …no further [don’t go further] than the last)

Etymology

From a (the) +‎ cipész (cobbler, shoemaker) +‎ marad (to stay) +‎ -jon (personal suffix) +‎ a (the) +‎ kaptafa (last) +‎ -nál (at), literally the cobbler should stay with the last. (The sentence-initial article may be omitted.) Calque of Latin ne suprā crepidam sūtor iūdicāret (Let not the cobbler pass judgment beyond the shoes) or sutor, ne ultra crepidam; compare also ultracrepidarian.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ɒ ˈt͡sipeːs ˈmɒrɒɟːon ɒ ˈkɒptɒfaːnaːl]

Proverb

a cipész maradjon a kaptafánál

  1. cobbler, keep to your last

Further reading