Want white bread? Get off the stove.

What it means

In the Russian house the warm stove was where the lazy lay all winter. Good things come to people who get up and work. Comfort and reward rarely sit on the same bench.

The source

"Want white bread? Get off the stove." This Russian proverb is recorded in Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»). Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

"Хочешь есть калачи, так не сиди на печи"

Original Russian, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»). Text read at ru.wikisource.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 "Want white bread? Get off the stove." mean?

In the Russian house the warm stove was where the lazy lay all winter. Good things come to people who get up and work. Comfort and reward rarely sit on the same bench.

Who said "Want white bread? Get off the stove."?

Russian proverb. Source: Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»).

What is the original Russian?

Хочешь есть калачи, так не сиди на печи. Translated from the original Russian by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Want white bread? Get off the stove." on a shirt?

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

"Want white bread? Get off the stove." (Russian proverb, Dal, Proverbs of the Russian People (1862), "Work — Idleness" («Работа — Праздность»), translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/want-white-bread-get-off-the-stove