if the shoe fits, wear it

See also: if the shoe fits

English

Pronunciation

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Proverb

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.
   • 1901, Horatio Alger, chapter 18, in Young Captain Jack:

     "Do you mean to insult me by that?" he roared.
     "If the shoe fits, you can wear it."
     "I'll knock you down for the insult."

2. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (idiomatic) If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool.

Synonyms

• (UK) if the cap fits, wear it
• if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck

Translations

idiomatic

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can:
• Catalan: qui té cua de palla s'encén
• Chinese: 對號入座 / 对号入座 (zh) (duìhàorùzuò)
• Czech: potrefená husa se ozvala
• Dutch: wie de schoen past, trekke hem aan
• Finnish: jos siltä näyttää
• French: si le chapeau te fait, mets-le (fr)
• German: wenn du dich angesprochen fühlst
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can:
• Hungarian: akinek nem inge, ne vegye magára
• Italian: chi ha orecchie per intendere intenda
• Jamaican Creole: mi throw mi corn, mi neva call nuh fowl
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can:
• Korean: please add this translation if you can:
• Polish: not used in Polish
• Portuguese: se a carapuça serviu
• Russian: на во́ре́ и ша́пка гори́т (ru) (na vóré i šápka gorít) (the hat burns on the thief too)
• Spanish: el que se pica, ajos come; al que le quepa el sayo; al que le pique, que se rasque; a el que le quede el saco, que se lo ponga, quien se pica, ajos come (es)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can:

See also

• if it works, it works
• it takes one to know one