árinni kennir illur ræðari
an Icelandic saying about bad workers cursing their tools
2025-04-23 11:42 // updated 2026-03-02 18:03
"árinni kennir illur ræðari" but word-for-word:
- árinni = "to the oar"
- kennir = "blames"
- illur = "[a] bad""
- ræðari = "rower"
i.e. "a bad rower curses the oar":
- can mean "a bad worker curses their tools"
- hints at the Icelandic seafaring ways
- "árinni kennir illur ræðari" on wiktionary