"if we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs" meaning in All languages combined

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "head": "if we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs"
      },
      "expansion": "if we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs",
      "name": "en-proverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w"
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          "name": "English proverbs",
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          "source": "w"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1997, United States Congress Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Encryption, Key Recovery, and Privacy Protection in the Information Age, →ISBN, page 110:",
          "text": "The situation reminds me of the statement that \"if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs — if we had eggs\" — but in a world in which there are no hens. In theory, truly secure systems are impossible.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Russ Hall, No Murder Before Its Time, →ISBN, page 117:",
          "text": "\"And if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs,\" Esbeth grumped.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Tracey J. Kinney, Conflict and Cooperation: Documents on Modern Global History:",
          "text": "This is the, 'If we had ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs' philosophy. . . . Delivering our cash to dictatorial and silly governments was bad, but even worse was delivering our big ideas about centralization, economic planning, and social justice to a country that had 120 university graduates at the time of independence.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, P.J. O'Rourke, Thrown Under the Omnibus, →ISBN:",
          "text": "This is the \"if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs\" philosophy. Or as Nzezele put it as I was leaving Dar after having given him a large and not very well-earned tip, \"When you get back to America, if you find that you have any extra money, could you send me a wristwatch?\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Draws attention to the futility of a plan or strategy in the absence of the resources necessary for it to work."
      ],
      "id": "en-if_we_had_ham_we_could_have_ham_and_eggs,_if_we_had_eggs-en-proverb-LFgBFQgY",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "if we had some ham we could have some ham and eggs, if we had some eggs"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "if we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs"
}

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "head": "if we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs"
      },
      "expansion": "if we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs",
      "name": "en-proverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1997, United States Congress Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Encryption, Key Recovery, and Privacy Protection in the Information Age, →ISBN, page 110:",
          "text": "The situation reminds me of the statement that \"if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs — if we had eggs\" — but in a world in which there are no hens. In theory, truly secure systems are impossible.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Russ Hall, No Murder Before Its Time, →ISBN, page 117:",
          "text": "\"And if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs,\" Esbeth grumped.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Tracey J. Kinney, Conflict and Cooperation: Documents on Modern Global History:",
          "text": "This is the, 'If we had ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs' philosophy. . . . Delivering our cash to dictatorial and silly governments was bad, but even worse was delivering our big ideas about centralization, economic planning, and social justice to a country that had 120 university graduates at the time of independence.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, P.J. O'Rourke, Thrown Under the Omnibus, →ISBN:",
          "text": "This is the \"if we had ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs\" philosophy. Or as Nzezele put it as I was leaving Dar after having given him a large and not very well-earned tip, \"When you get back to America, if you find that you have any extra money, could you send me a wristwatch?\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Draws attention to the futility of a plan or strategy in the absence of the resources necessary for it to work."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "if we had some ham we could have some ham and eggs, if we had some eggs"
    }
  ],
  "word": "if we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs"
}