A worker's fingers are the keys to his bread.

What it means

A skill in your hands opens every door to a living. The person without a trade has to hold out a ladle and wait. Learn to make something well and you will never be at another's mercy.

The source

"A worker's fingers are the keys to his bread." This Persian proverb is recorded in Roebuck, Persian and Hindoostanee Proverbs (1824), Part I, no. 270. Translated by Roebuck, 1824.

"The fingers of a workman are the keys of subsistence, and the hand of the ignorant is like the ladle of a beggar."

Roebuck, 1824, Roebuck, Persian and Hindoostanee Proverbs (1824), Part I, no. 270. Text read at archive.org.

Who said it

Proverbs of the world (Every age). Sayings from the Latin, Greek, Norse, Japanese, Chinese and more, each traced to an old source in its own language.

Questions

What does "A worker's fingers are the keys to his bread." mean?

A skill in your hands opens every door to a living. The person without a trade has to hold out a ladle and wait. Learn to make something well and you will never be at another's mercy.

Who said "A worker's fingers are the keys to his bread."?

Persian proverb. Source: Roebuck, Persian and Hindoostanee Proverbs (1824), Part I, no. 270.

What is the original wording?

The fingers of a workman are the keys of subsistence, and the hand of the ignorant is like the ladle of a beggar (Roebuck, 1824). Translated by Roebuck, 1824.

Is "A worker's fingers are the keys to his bread." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"A worker's fingers are the keys to his bread." (Persian proverb, Roebuck, Persian and Hindoostanee Proverbs (1824), Part I, no. 270, trans. Roebuck, 1824). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/a-workers-fingers-are-the-keys-to-his