Thread: analog for the Russian expressions

I'm trying to find an English analogy of the Russian expression "Oн любит тянуть одеяло на себя". I found something like "He likes to be on the light spot" or "He likes to be in the center of attention', but I feel like it is not what I'm looking for.
The same situation with another my favorite Russian expression "На безрыбье и рак - рыба". I found in an expression book "In the kingdom of blinds one-eyed is a king", but none of my american acquaintances has ever heard about it.
Can anybody help?

Originally Posted by chubby

I'm trying to find an English analogy of the Russian expression "Oн любит тянуть одеяло на себя". I found something like "He likes to be on the light spot" or "He likes to be in the center of attention', but I feel like it is not what I'm looking for.
The same situation with another my favorite Russian expression "На безрыбье и рак - рыба". I found in an expression book "In the kingdom of blinds one-eyed is a king", but none of my american acquaintances has ever heard about it.
Can anybody help?

I think you mean "He likes to be in the spot light", not "the light spot"...

And yes, "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king" is an existing expression, at least I know it, so it should exist... It exists in Dutch, too.

"He likes to be the centre of attention" sounds spot on to me.

I have to admit i've never heard of "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king". I must have had a sheltered childhood.

Originally Posted by chubby

I'm trying to find an English analogy of the Russian expression "Oн любит тянуть одеяло на себя". I found something like "He likes to be on the light spot" or "He likes to be in the center of attention', but I feel like it is not what I'm looking for.
The same situation with another my favorite Russian expression "На безрыбье и рак - рыба". I found in an expression book "In the kingdom of blinds one-eyed is a king", but none of my american acquaintances has ever heard about it.
Can anybody help?

For "На безрыбье и рак - рыба" I would simply say "(having/to have) something is better than (having/to have) nothing".

I've heard "in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," both in books and in colloquial speech. Maybe it's a regional thing?