man tager vad man haver

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Swedish

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Etymology

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From man (one) +‎ tager (takes (dated form of tar)) +‎ vad (what) +‎ man (one) +‎ haver (has (dated form of har)), "You use whatever you have." Often attributed to cookbook author Cajsa Warg (1703 – 1769), though there is no account of her using the expression.

Proverb

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man tager vad man haver

  1. you use what you have on hand (if something else is not available)
    Jag hade i pinjenötter istället för solroskärnor. Man tager vad man haver.
    I added pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds. You use whatever you have.
    Det blev en "man tager vad man haver"-måltid idag
    I did an improvised meal with what I had available today