Every fool likes his bauble.
Every fool likes his bauble.
Meaning in plain English
People become attached to their own favourite diversions, even when others see little value in them. The bauble is a small object that matters especially to its owner.
Example
A friend enjoys restoring inexpensive old toys although another collector prefers valuable antiques.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The fool enjoys a bauble that may look insignificant to somebody else. The image makes personal attachment visible: value can come from affection, habit or amusement rather than usefulness or price. It can describe a harmless enthusiasm that an observer does not share. Calling the owner a fool also exposes the speaker’s impatience, so the saying deserves care. An unfamiliar interest need not be foolish. A useful reading asks whether the attachment causes a problem, rather than assuming that one person’s taste should determine everybody else’s.
When to use it
Use it for an attachment whose value is mainly personal.
Keep in mind
Do not use another person’s different tastes as evidence of stupidity.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-04. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 2; French section, paragraph 20; source wording: A chaque fou plaît sa marotte.
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗