proverb · Words worth keeping
The shovel scouts the poker.
The shovel scouts the poker.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
One familiar implement mocks another, despite their shared setting and possible shortcomings. The image invites a person to examine their own position before ridiculing a comparable fault.
Example
A colleague who often misses deadlines stops mocking another person’s delay and instead helps agree a schedule both can keep.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The shovel and poker occupy the same working scene, making one implement’s mockery of the other look questionable. A useful reading concerns criticism offered without noticing a similar limitation in oneself. Before turning a defect into ridicule, ask whether the comparison has exposed something that also needs attention at home. This need not silence a justified objection. A person can acknowledge their own difficulty while still explaining why another action requires correction. The proverb is stronger as a prompt to fair judgement than as a way of dismissing all criticism.
When to use it
Use it to question ridicule that overlooks a comparable shortcoming.
Keep in mind
Similar faults do not erase responsibility; acknowledge them while assessing the actual problem.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown