Thread: сила есть - ума не надо

I've got a new phrase a friend taught me today :
сила есть, ума не надо
It means, you have the strength, you don't need a brain

did I get the spelling, or even the words right?

It wasn't exactly a compliment, but it was funny!

Originally Posted by jessebruner

Сила есть – ума не надо.

Your spelling is correct. Just use a dash instead of comma.
What did you do? Broke something?

I was putting laundry away, and tried to carry too much, dropped everything!

Originally Posted by jessebruner

I was putting laundry away, and tried to carry too much, dropped everything!

Then the usage of the proverb is not really appropriate. The correct usage would be in a situation in which you applied too much force and broke something. Other similar situations might also fit, but in all of them your force should have proven to be abundant. However, in the situation that you mentioned, you just weren't strong enough.

Originally Posted by Crocodile

Originally Posted by jessebruner

I was putting laundry away, and tried to carry too much, dropped everything!

Then the usage of the proverb is not really appropriate. The correct usage would be in a situation in which you applied too much force and broke something. Other similar situations might also fit, but in all of them your force should have proven to be abundant. However, in the situation that you mentioned, you just weren't strong enough.

But sometimes we think that we have enough strength.

Originally Posted by Lampada

But sometimes we think that we have enough strength.

I agree. In a situation above I would probably comment something like:

Поспешишь - людей насмешишь.

In a sense that jessebruner hastened to relocate all laundry at once rather than doing it in two safer steps.