Meanings
proverb
alternative a bad workman blames his tools · alternative a bad carpenter blames his tools · alternative a poor workman blames his tools · alternative it is a poor craftsman who blames their tools · alternative a good workman never blames his tools
- It is not the tools we use that make us good, but rather how we employ them.
Never had ill workman good tools.
1881, John Wurtle Lovell, “Jacula Prudentum”, in The Works of George Herbert in Prose and Verse, New York, page 4401 more example
An ill labourer quarrels with his tools.
1881, John Wurtle Lovell, “Jacula Prudentum”, in The Works of George Herbert in Prose and Verse, New York, page 454 - Upon failure, it is easier to blame the tools used rather than how they were employed.
Translations
Bengali নাচতে না জানলে উঠান বাঁকা
- নাচতে না জানলে উঠান বাঁকা (nacote na janle uṭhan bãka)not the tools but how they're employed
Bulgarian на калпав майстор инструментът му е крив
- на калпав майстор инструментът му е крив (na kalpav majstor instrumentăt mu e kriv)not the tools but how they're employed
Chinese Cantonese 屙屎唔出賴地硬 /屙屎唔出赖地硬, 賴地硬 /赖地硬
- 屙屎唔出賴地硬 /屙屎唔出赖地硬 (o¹ si² m⁴ ceot¹ laai⁶ dei⁶ ngaang⁶)not the tools but how they're employed
- 賴地硬 /赖地硬 (laai⁶ dei⁶ ngaang⁶)not the tools but how they're employed
Chinese Mandarin 拉不出屎來賴茅坑 /拉不出屎来赖茅坑, 尿不準怪馬桶歪 /尿不准怪马桶歪
- 拉不出屎來賴茅坑 /拉不出屎来赖茅坑 (lā bù chū shǐ lái lài máokēng)not the tools but how they're employed
- 尿不準怪馬桶歪 /尿不准怪马桶歪not the tools but how they're employed
Dari پهلوان که باخت میگه نیرو من تنگ بود
- پهلوان که باخت میگه نیرو من تنگ بودnot the tools but how they're employed
Dutch een kwaad werkman heeft altijd slecht getuig
- een kwaad werkman heeft altijd slecht getuignot the tools but how they're employed
Finnish kyllä sika syitä löytää, välillä on maa jäässä, välillä kärsä kipeä
- kyllä sika syitä löytää, välillä on maa jäässä, välillä kärsä kipeänot the tools but how they're employed
French à méchant ouvrier, point de bon outil, un mauvais ouvrier a toujours de mauvais outils
- à méchant ouvrier, point de bon outilnot the tools but how they're employed
- un mauvais ouvrier a toujours de mauvais outilsnot the tools but how they're employed
German wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, hat das Pferd Schuld, ein schlechter Handwerker schimpft immer auf sein Werkzeug
- wenn der Reiter nichts taugt, hat das Pferd Schuldnot the tools but how they're employed
- ein schlechter Handwerker schimpft immer auf sein Werkzeugnot the tools but how they're employed
Hindi नाच न जाने आँगन टेढ़ा
- नाच न जाने आँगन टेढ़ा (nāc na jāne āṅgan ṭeṛhā)not the tools but how they're employed
Icelandic árinni kennir illur ræðari
- árinni kennir illur ræðarinot the tools but how they're employed
Indonesian buruk muka cermin dibelah
- buruk muka cermin dibelahnot the tools but how they're employed
Irish droch-cheardaí a chuireann an milleán ar a chuid uirlisí, ní thig a sháith de chorrán a thabhairt do dhrochbhuanaí
- droch-cheardaí a chuireann an milleán ar a chuid uirlisínot the tools but how they're employed
- ní thig a sháith de chorrán a thabhairt do dhrochbhuanaínot the tools but how they're employed
Japanese 弘法筆を選ばず
- 弘法筆を選ばず (kōbō fude o erabazu)not the tools but how they're employed
Malay تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن لنتاي جوڠکڠ-جوڠکيت, تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رنده
- تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن لنتاي جوڠکڠ-جوڠکيتnot the tools but how they're employed
- تق تاهو مناري دکاتاکن تانه تيڠݢي رندهnot the tools but how they're employed
- تق تاهو مڠاڽم ڤندن دسالهکنnot the tools but how they're employed
- tak tahu menari dikatakan lantai jongkang-jongketnot the tools but how they're employed
- tak tahu menari dikatakan tanah tinggi rendahnot the tools but how they're employed
- tak tahu menganyam pandan disalahkannot the tools but how they're employed
Polish złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicy
- złej baletnicy przeszkadza rąbek spódnicynot the tools but how they're employed
Scottish Gaelic cha d'fhuair droch-bhuannaiche a-riamh deagh-chorran, cha d'fhuair droch-ràmhaich ràmh math a-riamh
- cha d'fhuair droch-bhuannaiche a-riamh deagh-chorrannot the tools but how they're employed
- cha d'fhuair droch-ràmhaich ràmh math a-riamhnot the tools but how they're employed
Thai รำไม่ดีโทษปี่โทษกลอง
- รำไม่ดีโทษปี่โทษกลอง (ram-mâi-dii-tôot-bpìi-tôot-glɔɔng)not the tools but how they're employed
Urdu ناچ نہ جانے آنگن ٹیڑھا
- ناچ نہ جانے آنگن ٹیڑھا (nāc na jāne ā̃gan ṭeṛhā)not the tools but how they're employed
Vietnamese vụng múa chê đất lệch
- vụng múa chê đất lệchnot the tools but how they're employed
Cite this entry
APA
a bad workman always blames his tools. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20bad%20workman%20always%20blames%20his%20tools
MLA
“a bad workman always blames his tools.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20bad%20workman%20always%20blames%20his%20tools. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a bad workman always blames his tools,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20bad%20workman%20always%20blames%20his%20tools.
Source: a bad workman always blames his tools on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.