"those who can't do, teach" meaning in All languages combined

See those who can't do, teach on Wiktionary

Proverb [English]

Forms: those who can't, teach [alternative]
Head templates: {{en-proverb}} those who can't do, teach
  1. (derogatory) It is easier to get a job teaching how to do something than to get a job actually doing that thing. Tags: derogatory Categories (topical): Education
    Sense id: en-those_who_can't_do,_teach-en-proverb-HNfiV6Zr Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English proverbs, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "those who can't, teach",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "those who can't do, teach",
      "name": "en-proverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English proverbs",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Education",
          "orig": "en:Education",
          "parents": [
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2004, Shirley M. Hord, Learning Together, Leading Together, →ISBN:",
          "text": "If those who can't do, teach — then what will those who can't teach, do?",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Roy Vincent, Listening to the Silences, →ISBN, page 21:",
          "text": "Now, there is an unkind saying in education that “those who can, 'do'; those who can't 'do', teach; those who can't teach, teach others to teach; while those who can't teach others to teach become either education administrators or researchers”.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Charles J. Mertz, So,You Want To Be a Teacher, →ISBN, page 12:",
          "text": "They say, “Those who can't do, teach.” Don't you believe it. Those who teach show those who can't how to.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "It is easier to get a job teaching how to do something than to get a job actually doing that thing."
      ],
      "id": "en-those_who_can't_do,_teach-en-proverb-HNfiV6Zr",
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory) It is easier to get a job teaching how to do something than to get a job actually doing that thing."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "those who can't do, teach"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "those who can't, teach",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "those who can't do, teach",
      "name": "en-proverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English derogatory terms",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English proverbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "en:Education"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2004, Shirley M. Hord, Learning Together, Leading Together, →ISBN:",
          "text": "If those who can't do, teach — then what will those who can't teach, do?",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Roy Vincent, Listening to the Silences, →ISBN, page 21:",
          "text": "Now, there is an unkind saying in education that “those who can, 'do'; those who can't 'do', teach; those who can't teach, teach others to teach; while those who can't teach others to teach become either education administrators or researchers”.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Charles J. Mertz, So,You Want To Be a Teacher, →ISBN, page 12:",
          "text": "They say, “Those who can't do, teach.” Don't you believe it. Those who teach show those who can't how to.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "It is easier to get a job teaching how to do something than to get a job actually doing that thing."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory) It is easier to get a job teaching how to do something than to get a job actually doing that thing."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "those who can't do, teach"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-21 using wiktextract (ce0be54 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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