cobbler
a load of (old) cobblers
slang A bunch of nonsense. The phrase comes from rhyming slang in which "cobblers" is short for "cobblers' awls," rhymes with "balls" (testicles). Primarily heard in UK. Don't pay any attention to what she says, it's all a load of cobblers. Can you believe what they're making us do at work now? What a load of old cobblers.
See also: cobbler, load, of
a load of (old) cobblers' awls
slang A bunch of nonsense. The phrase comes from rhyming slang in which "cobblers' awls" rhymes with "balls" (testicles). Primarily heard in UK. Don't pay any attention to what she says, it's all a load of cobblers' awls. Can you believe what they're making us do at work now? What a load of old cobbler's awls.
See also: load, of
let the cobbler stick to his last
proverb One should do what one is familiar with, experienced in, or skilled at, rather than trying something different and risking failure. After his failed attempts at writing books and hosting a television show, many think the ageing DJ should retire or return to radio—let the cobbler stick to his last. You're a doctor, not an artist, Bob. You should let the cobbler stick to his last.
See also: cobbler, last, let, stick
the cobbler should stick to his last
proverb One should do what one is familiar with, experienced in, or skilled at, rather than trying something different and risking failure. After his failed attempts at writing books and hosting a television show, many think the ageing DJ should retire or return to radio— the cobbler should stick to his last.
See also: cobbler, last, should, stick
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
Let the cobbler stick to his last.
Prov. Do not advise someone in matters outside your area of expertise. Whenever Ted, who is a lawyer, tried to give Bob suggestions about how to write his novel, Bob would say, "Let the cobbler stick to his last." Bill: I don't think you should put so much oregano in the spaghetti sauce. Nancy: You're a construction worker, not a chef. Let the cobbler stick to his last.
See also: cobbler, last, let, stick
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
stick to one's last
Keep to what you know and don't interfere out of your province, as in Let me handle the defense in this suit; you stick to your last and track down more eyewitnesses . This adage comes from an ancient story about a shoemaker criticizing a work by a Greek painter named Apelles, saying that the shoe in the picture was not correctly portrayed. After the painter corrected it, the shoemaker pointed out an error in the leg, whereupon the painter said, "Shoemaker, do not go above your last." Over the centuries the story was repeated, and the expression still is sometimes put as cobbler, stick to your last, even though cobblers are nearly obsolete.
See also: last, stick
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
cobbler, stick to your last
Do not advise about or interfere with matters of which you know little or nothing. This turn of phrase comes from an anecdote about a painter of ancient Greece named Apelles. One day a shoemaker saw a painting of his and pointed out that the shoe in the picture was not accurately portrayed. The painter corrected that part of the picture. Then the next day the shoemaker pointed out a mistake in the painting of a leg. But the painter replied, “Shoemaker, do not go above your last.” The story was repeated in various accounts and made its way into John Taverner’s translation of Erasmus as “Let not the shoemaker go beyonde his shoe.” Although the cobbler’s day appears to be nearly over, at least in America, the cliché survives.
See also: last, stick
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- a load of (old) cobblers
- a load of (old) cobblers' awls
- iron poof
- Brahms and Liszt
- half-inch
- Jimmy Riddle
- bottle and glass
- north and south
- Jack Palancing
- bull and cow