English language proverb: If the hat fits, wear it!
Disclaimer: I've included this proverb because I couldn't resist the opportunity to show off this picture of my three children, taken in April 1995, and what better way than to feature it in a proverb?
This proverb is used in situations where you are talking in general terms, and someone asks you if you are referring to him/her. For example, if I say 'Spanish people seem to be more trusting than Americans' (see my post on this topic from my sabbatical blog) and if my Spanish friend asks 'are you talking about me?' then I might say 'if the hat fits, wear it.' This means that it's up to her to judge whether or not she is included in the generalization. She can decide, based on her own assessment of her character, whether the description fits her.
I learned it as "If the shoe fits..." Never heard the hat version before.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's 'if the sweater fits, wear a size smaller ....'
ReplyDeleteWow...
ReplyDeleteI really love it
ReplyDelete