der Esel geht immer voran
German
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Literally, “the donkey always comes first”. Probably from the idea that the donkey walks in front of the carriage but is of lesser value than the people on it.
Proverb
[edit]- Said when someone mentions themselves first in an enumeration of people (like “I and you”, “I and my friend”), which is considered unmannered in the German-speaking (and some other) countries
- Synonym: der Esel nennt sich immer zuerst