A carpenter is known by his chips

Posted by David FG on May 22, 2005

In Reply to: A carpenter is known by his chips posted by Jay on May 22, 2005

: What does 'a carpenter is known by his chips' mean? Under which topic do we categorize this saying?

It's not a saying I am familiar with, but I assume that it means that someone who works as a carpenter will be recognizable by the fact that he is surrounded by/covered in wood chips.

By extension, that which surrounds a person gives a clue to their identity.

DFG