cut one's coat according to one's cloth

verb

To live within one's means, without spending more than is affordable.

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Meanings

verbcut one's coat according to one's cloth (third-person singular simple present cuts one's coat according to one's cloth, present participle cutting one's coat according to one's cloth, simple past and past participle cut one's coat according to one's cloth)

present singular third person cuts one's coat according to one's cloth · participle present cutting one's coat according to one's cloth · alternative cut the coat according to the cloth

  1. idiomaticTo live within one's means, without spending more than is affordable.

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 量力而行
  • 量力而行 (loeng⁶ lik⁶ ji⁴ hang⁴)to live within one's means
Chinese Mandarin 量力而行
  • 量力而行 (liànglì'érxíng)to live within one's means
Finnish elää suu säkkiä myöten
  • elää suu säkkiä myötento live within one's means
German sich nach der Decke strecken
  • sich nach der Decke streckento live within one's means
Icelandic sníða sér stakk eftir vexti
  • sníða sér stakk eftir vextito live within one's means
Italian fare il passo secondo la gamba
  • fare il passo secondo la gambato live within one's means
Latin pes sic tendatur ne lodix protereatur
  • pes sic tendatur ne lodix protereaturto live within one's means
Malay ukur baju di badan sendiri
  • ukur baju di badan sendirito live within one's means
Russian по одёжке протя́гивай но́жки
  • по одёжке протя́гивай но́жки (po odjóžke protjágivaj nóžki)to live within one's means
Swedish rätta mun efter matsäcken
  • rätta mun efter matsäckento live within one's means
Urdu جتنی چادر دیکھو اتنے پاؤں پھیلاؤ
  • جتنی چادر دیکھو اتنے پاؤں پھیلاؤ (jitnī cādar dekho utne pāū̃ phailāo)to live within one's means
Cite this entry
APA

cut one's coat according to one's cloth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20one's%20coat%20according%20to%20one's%20cloth

MLA

“cut one's coat according to one's cloth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20one's%20coat%20according%20to%20one's%20cloth. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cut one's coat according to one's cloth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cut%20one's%20coat%20according%20to%20one's%20cloth.

Source: cut one's coat according to one's cloth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.