bad workers always blame their tools
If someone performs a job or task poorly or unsuccessfully, he or she will usually lay the blame on the quality of his or her equipment, or other such external factors, rather than take responsibility for his or her own failure. The football player blamed the overinflated ball for costing his team the game, but as they say, bad workers always blame their tools.
a bad carpenter blames his tools
If someone performs a job or task poorly or unsuccessfully, he or she will usually lay the blame on the quality of his or her equipment, or other such external factors, rather than take responsibility for his or her own failure. The football player blamed the overinflated ball for costing his team the game, but as they say, a bad carpenter always blames his tools.
a bad workman always blames his tools
If?someone?performs?a?job?or?task?poorly?or?unsuccessfully,?he?or?she?will?usually?lay?the?blame?on?the?quality?of?his?orher?equipment,?or?other?such?external?factors,?rather?than?take?responsibility?for?his?or?her?own?failure. The football player blamed the overinflated ball for costing his team the game, but as they say, a bad workman always blames his tools.
a bad workman blames his tools
If someone performs a job or task poorly or unsuccessfully, he or she will usually lay the blame on the quality of his or her equipment, or other such external factors, rather than take responsibility for his or her own failure. When Mary blamed the oven for burning the turkey on Thanksgiving, her husband jokingly replied, "a bad workman always blames his tools."
a poor craftsman blames his tools
If someone performs a job or task poorly or unsuccessfully, he or she will usually lay the blame on the quality of his or her equipment, or other such external factors, rather than take responsibility for his or her own failure. After John spent all day assembling his new desk only to discover it was lopsided, he immediately declared that the package must have contained the wrong pieces. His wife replied, "only poor craftsmen blame their tools, dear."
idle hands are the devil's tools
When one has nothing to do, one is more likely to get into trouble. When I'm off from school, my grandmother is always trying to get me out of the house, while reminding me that idle hands are the devil's tools.
Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.
Prov. A reply to someone who wants you to do a task for which you lack the equipment. How am I supposed to wash the upstairs windows without a ladder? Give us the tools, and we will finish the job!
tool around (in something)
to go around in a car; to speed around in a car. Who is that kid tooling around in that souped-up car? Ann spends a lot of time tooling around in her new car.
tool something up
to equip a factory or production line with particular tools and machines, as for new products. The manager closed down the factory so she could tool it up for the new models. She tooled up the factory in record time.
tool up
to become equipped with tools. I need some money so I can tool up to do the job. The factory tooled up to make the new cars in only two weeks.
A bad workman blames his tools.
something that you say when someone blames the objects they are using for their own mistakes 'This oven burns everything.' 'You know what they say, a bad workman blames his tools.'
down tools
(British & Australian) to refuse to work, especially because you are not satisfied with your pay or working conditions Thousands of Krakow steelworkers downed tools to demand more pay.
the tools of the/your trade
the things that you need to use in order to do a job For the modern sales executive, a car phone is one of the tools of the trade.
See down tools