"if the shoe fits, wear it" meaning in English

See if the shoe fits, wear it in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

Head templates: {{head|en|proverb|head=if the shoe fits, wear it}} if the shoe fits, wear it
  1. (idiomatic) If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: if the cap fits, wear it [UK], if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck Related terms: if it works, it works, it takes one to know one Translations (idiomatic): 對號入座 (Chinese), 对号入座 (duìhàorùzuò) (Chinese), potrefená husa se ozvala (Czech), wie de schoen past, trekke hem aan (Dutch), jos siltä näyttää (Finnish), si le chapeau te fait, mets-le (French), wenn du dich angesprochen fühlst (German), akinek nem inge, ne vegye magára (Hungarian), chi ha orecchie per intendere intenda (Italian), mi throw mi corn, mi neva call nuh fowl (Jamaican Creole), se a carapuça serviu (Portuguese), на во́ре́ и ша́пка гори́т (na vóré i šápka gorít) (english: the hat burns on the thief too) (Russian), el que se pica, ajos come (Spanish), al que le quepa el sayo (Spanish), al que le pique, que se rasque (Spanish), a el que le quede el saco, que se lo ponga (Spanish), quien se pica, ajos come (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-if_the_shoe_fits,_wear_it-en-proverb-hopporzc Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English imperative sentences, English proverbs, English subordinate clauses, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Chinese translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Jamaican Creole translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 66 34 Disambiguation of English imperative sentences: 73 27 Disambiguation of English proverbs: 80 20 Disambiguation of English subordinate clauses: 73 27 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 80 20 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 73 27 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Chinese translations: 76 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 71 29 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 76 24 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 76 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Jamaican Creole translations: 79 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 80 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 76 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of 'idiomatic': 56 44
  2. (idiomatic) If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool. Tags: idiomatic
    Sense id: en-if_the_shoe_fits,_wear_it-en-proverb-q~h3HUhm
{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "proverb",
        "head": "if the shoe fits, wear it"
      },
      "expansion": "if the shoe fits, wear it",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "66 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English imperative sentences",
          "parents": [
            "Imperative sentences",
            "Sentences"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English proverbs",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English subordinate clauses",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Chinese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Jamaican Creole translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1901, Horatio Alger, chapter 18, in Young Captain Jack:",
          "text": "\"Do you mean to insult me by that?\" he roared.\n\"If the shoe fits, you can wear it.\"\n\"I'll knock you down for the insult.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable."
      ],
      "id": "en-if_the_shoe_fits,_wear_it-en-proverb-hopporzc",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "word": "if it works, it works"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "word": "it takes one to know one"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "86 14",
          "tags": [
            "UK"
          ],
          "word": "if the cap fits, wear it"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "86 14",
          "word": "if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "zh",
          "lang": "Chinese",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "對號入座"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "zh",
          "lang": "Chinese",
          "roman": "duìhàorùzuò",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "对号入座"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "potrefená husa se ozvala"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "wie de schoen past, trekke hem aan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "jos siltä näyttää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "si le chapeau te fait, mets-le"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "wenn du dich angesprochen fühlst"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "akinek nem inge, ne vegye magára"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "chi ha orecchie per intendere intenda"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "jam",
          "lang": "Jamaican Creole",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "mi throw mi corn, mi neva call nuh fowl"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "note": "not used in Polish",
          "sense": "idiomatic"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "se a carapuça serviu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "the hat burns on the thief too",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "na vóré i šápka gorít",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "на во́ре́ и ша́пка гори́т"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "el que se pica, ajos come"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "al que le quepa el sayo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "al que le pique, que se rasque"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "a el que le quede el saco, que se lo ponga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 44",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "idiomatic",
          "word": "quien se pica, ajos come"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool."
      ],
      "id": "en-if_the_shoe_fits,_wear_it-en-proverb-q~h3HUhm",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "if the shoe fits, wear it"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English imperative sentences",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English proverbs",
    "English subordinate clauses",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Chinese translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Jamaican Creole translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "proverb",
        "head": "if the shoe fits, wear it"
      },
      "expansion": "if the shoe fits, wear it",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "if it works, it works"
    },
    {
      "word": "it takes one to know one"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1901, Horatio Alger, chapter 18, in Young Captain Jack:",
          "text": "\"Do you mean to insult me by that?\" he roared.\n\"If the shoe fits, you can wear it.\"\n\"I'll knock you down for the insult.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "word": "if the cap fits, wear it"
    },
    {
      "word": "if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "zh",
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "對號入座"
    },
    {
      "code": "zh",
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "roman": "duìhàorùzuò",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "对号入座"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "potrefená husa se ozvala"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "wie de schoen past, trekke hem aan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "jos siltä näyttää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "si le chapeau te fait, mets-le"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "wenn du dich angesprochen fühlst"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "akinek nem inge, ne vegye magára"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "chi ha orecchie per intendere intenda"
    },
    {
      "code": "jam",
      "lang": "Jamaican Creole",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "mi throw mi corn, mi neva call nuh fowl"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "note": "not used in Polish",
      "sense": "idiomatic"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "se a carapuça serviu"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "the hat burns on the thief too",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "na vóré i šápka gorít",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "на во́ре́ и ша́пка гори́т"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "el que se pica, ajos come"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "al que le quepa el sayo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "al que le pique, que se rasque"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "a el que le quede el saco, que se lo ponga"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "idiomatic",
      "word": "quien se pica, ajos come"
    }
  ],
  "word": "if the shoe fits, wear it"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). 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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