proverb · Words worth keeping
He measures your corn by his bushel.
He measures your corn by his bushel.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Someone may assess your situation using their own standards or experience. Check whether that measure fits what is being judged instead of assuming that their reference point is universal.
Example
A teacher asks whether a homework timetable assumes resources available to every learner instead of treating their own working conditions as the standard.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Corn is judged through the capacity of the bushel used to measure it. Figuratively, a person can apply the scale familiar to them to someone else’s work, needs or circumstances. A shared measure can be helpful when its purpose and limits are understood, but it may overlook differences that matter. The saying does not prove that the person is deliberately unfair or that every comparison should be rejected. The useful question asks what standard is being used, why it is relevant and whether it gives a fair account of this particular situation rather than merely reproducing the evaluator’s own expectations.
When to use it
Use it when an assessment depends on a standard that may not fit the person or circumstances concerned.
Keep in mind
A personal reference point is not automatically wrong; explain and assess the standard rather than infer bad intent.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English