vandfýsni hæfir ekki snauðum

Icelandic

Etymology

From vandfýsni (“fastidiousness, being difficult to please”) and hæfir (“it suits, it befits”), the third person form of hæfa (“to suit, to befit”) and ekki (“not”) and snauðum (“the impoverished, the poor”) the dative plural of snauður (“impoverished, poor”). Literally meaning "fastidiousness does not befit the impoverished" or "the poor should not be picky".

Proverb

vandfýsni hæfir ekki snauðum

1. beggars can't be choosers

Related terms

• hafa skal það sem hendi er næst
• kunna ekki gott að meta
• vera vanþakklátur