A bad workman always blames his tools

Meaning

A proverb that suggests a poor workman tends to look for an excuse for his poor work.

Examples

It was really Andy’s fault that the wall he built fell down but he tried to claim that the cement mixer was faulty.

Where did it originate?

The expression is found in British collections of proverbs from the 16th century.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, but less commonly than 50 years ago.

Hear the idiom spoken

More idioms about

Browse more Idioms

About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

A bad workman always blames his tools