teach grandma how to suck eggs

English

Etymology

First attested circa 18th century, from Spanish.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

teach grandma how to suck eggs

1. (idiomatic, usually negative) To tell an expert how to do things.

Derived terms

• don't try to teach grandma how to suck eggs

Translations

teach an expert

• Bulgarian: прода́вам кра́ставици на краставича́р (prodávam krástavici na krastavičár, literally “to sell cucumbers to a cucumber vendor”)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 班門弄斧／班门弄斧 (zh) (bānménnòngfǔ), 班门弄斧 (zh) (bānménnòngfǔ)

• Finnish: opettaa ankanpoika uimaan (literally “to teach a duckling to swim”)
• French: les oisons veulent mener les oies paître (literally “the goslings want to drive the geese to pasture”)
• Greek: έλα παππού μου, να σου δείξω τ' αμπελοχώραφά σου (éla pappoú mou, na sou deíxo t' ampelochórafá sou, literally “come grandpa, I'll show you your vineyards”)
• Italian: please add this translation if you can
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 釈迦に説法 (shaka ni seppō, literally “lecturing the Buddha”), 釈迦に経 (shaka ni kyō, literally “teaching scriptures to the Buddha”)
• Polish: uczyć ojca dzieci robić
• Portuguese: ensinar a missa ao padre (literally “teach mass to the priest”), ensinar a missa ao vigário (literally “teach mass to the vicar”)
• Scottish Gaelic: ionnsaich do sheanmhair lit' a dhèanamh (literally “teach grandmother make porridge”)
• Spanish: dar clases a tu maestro (literally “give classes to your master”)
• Thai: สอนจระเข้ว่ายน้ำ (sŏn jàràkây wâai náam, literally “teach a crocodile to swim”)
• Vietnamese: múa rìu qua mắt thợ (vi) (literally “to wave one's axe before an axeman”)